Tiegenhoff Reinforced
40 Year after the Great War
Berlun
Dear Andrew,
It looks like I'll be continuing my fieldwork over here in Germania for a bit longer. I'm having a devil of a time getting a meeting with Frau Ansbach, the Urodela Corporation has pushed it back four times now! I understand she's a busy woman but it's getting difficult not to take it personally at this point. It feels like I'm being deliberately ignored!
I was a little worried the magazine would cancel the project altogether over the cost of staying over here but Ansbach's personal assistant contacted me and offered to pay my expenses. So I suppose they must not be too hesitant for me to interview her. Either way, it seems I can continue acting as your researcher for a while.
I managed to speak to General von Rerugen again for you and I can see why you had so much trouble with him. He's a cagey one that's for sure, not to mention frustratingly vague on any of the details relating to his Kampfgruppe. If we hadn't got all the paperwork to confirm it, I'd think he wasn't even there for all the engagements on the eastern front! He describes them like he's looking at a map instead of recalling a memory. It's almost like he can only imagine the events at a strategic level.
Then again, they say great military minds can be eccentric and we know the Empire had plenty of those. Just look at old Ruddersdorf and Zettour; you'd have to be crazy to come up with the sorts of schemes they planned.
It might not be much, but hopefully you'll find something new in the attached notes. At the very least you can check them against the information you already have to see if it all lines up.
I did find something odd however, he seems to have some connection to Frau Ansbach. Specifically, she's a major donor to several of Rerugen's veteran charities. It might be nothing, but my palms are itching, telling me to dig deeper so I'm going to look into some financial records while I wait for the interview. You never know, I might have stumbled onto something big!
I also visited a couple of the veteran charities when I got back to Berlun, to see what some of the old soldiers thought about Rerugen. There were quite a few who claimed to have been part of the Rerugen Kampfgruppe at one time or another. I'm a little unsure about the veracity of these stories though. Looking at the units the soldiers were assigned to, practically every division in the Imperial army would have been technically under the banner of the Kampfgruppe at one point or another if it were true. I suspect it's mostly bluff old soldiers trying to spin a heroic tail for me.
I did find one other thing there that might help the show though. An eyewitness that saw the Saint and the Argent! Well, sort of at least. I've added his story to my notes too. Again, it might be a tall tale but it's at least an entertaining one and best of all it should fit nicely into the latest episode.
Sorry, I haven't been able to find out more yet, but I'll do my best to dig up some more information soon.
Give my regards to the team.
Maggie
P.S. I've sent also sent you some of that disgusting smoked sausage you were raving about before I left Londinium. I can't say I was all that impressed when I tried it, I think I'll stick to the black forest gateau while I'm here thank you very much!
25th March Unified Year 1926 16:10
Tiegenhoff picket lines
Sergeant Kretschmann did his best to calm his nerves as he listened to the relentless barrage pounding the city above, instinctively flinching as one of the enemy shells landed dangerously close to his squad's makeshift bomb shelter. It was difficult not to show the concern on his face as the roof shook above him, loosing dust and mortar as the artillery rained down across the city. He was all too aware that the cellar of the now half-destroyed factory wasn't exactly bomb-proof, but it was safer than trying to wait out the artillery strike out in the open.
He glanced around at the worried faces of his squad mates as they nervously looked to the cracked concrete above their heads, expecting it to fall on them any minute. Not so long ago he'd laughed off the reports from the soldiers stationed on the Rhine front. He'd assumed the stories of men going mad during sustained artillery bombardments were nothing more than gossip spread by the western forces, or perhaps just an excuse for lazy recruits to shirk their duties and score some medical leave. How wrong he was.
He felt like he owed the veterans of the west an apology. Those on the Rhine had been under this sort of fire day in and day out for months at a time, he and his men had suffered less than a day's worth of shelling and it was already starting to get to them. More worryingly, he knew this wasn't even the worst of it, they were only being softened up for the final blow.
His hands shook slightly as they absently drifted into the pocket of his greatcoat and produced his tobacco tin and papers. He'd always found the activity of rolling cigarettes relaxing, it kept his hands busy even if his mind was still beset by worrisome thoughts. Besides, there was nothing like a smoke to calm your nerves; particularly if you didn't know if it'd be your last.
Smoking on the front lines was technically against regulations. Apparently, there was too much risk of giving your positions away. However, Kretschmann wasn't about to give up one of the few pleasures he and his men still had left, it wasn't as if they'd give up their position underground. Besides, they all knew the Tiegenhoff forces were at their limits, it wouldn't be long before it was all over so why make the wait more painful? Even the condemned are allowed a final request.
It had been nearly two weeks since the Federation had attacked and, due to the rout that followed, the city had been surrounded soon after. They'd managed to hold fast at first, successfully repelling the Federation attacks from the city proper and even denying them some of the more tactically important suburban areas. That hard work had at least allowed them to evacuate the remaining civilians via the port, something that every soldier in Tiegenoff felt proud they were able to achieve. However, the seemingly unending waves of Federation troops had soon started to take their toll on the defenders' morale and slowly but surely they had been pushing further into the city.
Kretschmann couldn't understand it, sure he'd been told to expect the commies to attack with superior numbers, it was practically the first thing they told anyone serving in the eastern army, but the sheer number of soldiers the federation threw at the defence lines was insane. Unlike the Empire, they didn't seem to use much in the way of tactics, just bloody arithmetic designed to wear down their defence lines and resolve. He wished he could say it wasn't effective.
They didn't even bother counting the corpses of the enemy anymore, it wasn't worth it, losses seemed to mean nothing to the socialists. Now they only counted how much ammunition they had remaining and how long it had been since they'd been resupplied. Neither of which was encouraging news.
Every attack ate away at both ammunition and the fighting spirit of his squad. In normal circumstances they would have asked the lieutenant if they could withdraw to a better position but where would they fall back to? They were surrounded and every inch of the city they lost to the enemy made their situation that much worse. What's more, none of the evacuation ships had returned and there were rumours that General von Scholtz's call for reinforcements had been all but ignored. Now with the arrival of the enemy artillery, it felt as though the final nail in the coffin was being rammed in.
He placed a cigarette in his mouth and let out a sigh. The General would have to make a decision soon. Would they surrender or die? Abandon honour or abandon all hope of seeing their loved ones again? It was a choice no soldier wanted to make, although Kretschmann wasn't ashamed to admit he preferred the former. Honour wasn't worth a damn to his wife and son; neither was his meagre pension for that matter.
Then again, he'd heard stories about how the reds treated their prisoners. Tales of people being worked to death in camps in the harshest corners of the Federation had been whispered about for years, although no one knew how much truth was to them. However, since the Federation hadn't signed the treaties that bound the other nations to take care of prisoners of war, nobody knew exactly how the captured would be treated. Even some of the men who he knew to be sympathetic to the Vaterland Socialist Party were wary about the idea of surrendering to the Feds.
Still, there was little a simple sergeant could do about these things. All he could do was perform his duty to the end, no matter what decision the General made. It was the least he could do for his brothers-in-arms. He just hoped his luck would hold out and he'd get to see his family again.
He grabbed his lighter from his pocket and brought it up to light his cigarette but paused as his mind registered something amiss. The guns had stopped.
"Shit! On your feet! NOW!" He yelled, forcing the rest of his squad into action, quickly getting to his feet and grabbing his rifle as his tobacco was sent scattering across the floor. There was only one reason why the reds would halt the artillery now, another attack was coming. They must have thought their barrage had softened them up enough for them to take the city while it was still mostly intact. "Everyone out and to defensive positions! On the double!"
Kretschmann rushed up the stairs towards the surface, thankful that rubble from the ruined building above had not blocked their exit. Despite the overcast skies and smog from the debris around him, it still took a few moments for his eyes to reacclimatise to the daylight as he stepped out of the shelter. He did not have time to allow his eyes to fully readjust however as his ears picked up the shouts of the approaching Russy soldiers as they advanced, the sound of a hundred voices shouting "Ura! Ura! Ura!" filling the fog of war.
Kretschmann swore again as he ducked low behind the collapsed wall of rubble as a torrent of gunfire cut through the fog, calling for his squad to get into cover. It was impossible to tell the direction of the fire or the shouts. The dust from the artillery hid their movements and made it sound as though they were coming from all sides.
"Hechler! Get the Lieutenant on the line, tell him we're under attack! The rest of you open fire!" He yelled, raising his head above the wall as he brought his rifle to bear against the advancing Federation troops. He still couldn't see much through the smog and debris left by the artillery barrage but right now it didn't matter. Any direction they were taking fire from probably held enemies; the fog might have been hiding them but if they waited until they could see them, they would be quickly overrun.
"Kiefer! Fabian! Bring up the machine gun!" Unsure if his squad was able to carry out his orders now the enemy assault had begun in earnest. The sound of battle seemed to be everywhere, there was a good chance his men were too busy defending themselves to help out his position. Even if they could move in to help, he wasn't sure it would be enough. What they needed was mage support, but he knew the beleaguered city only had a hand full of them left. Most had been lost during an attempt to take out the artillery before it could bombard the city. If they weren't here already, chances were they weren't coming at all.
Another flurry of fire struck his cover, forcing him to duck back down below the wall as bullets thudded into the brick. To his side, Private Franke wasn't so fortunate and a stray shot pierced his shoulder leaving him screaming in agony as he rolled around on the floor. Kretschmann called for a medic but his voice was drowned out by the sound of the machine gun finally answering the communist assault.
Finally some good luck! He thought to himself as he gestured for the squad medic to see to the young private and took the opportunity to assess the situation.
Kiefer and Fabian made it in the nick of time, if we're lucky we might manage to. His hopes were cut short however, as a torrent of fire bit deep into his makeshift cover, driving him back down behind the wall with a curse. He'd been mistaken, the sound of the machine gun hadn't come from his own side but the enemy's. The smog and confusion of the battle had hidden it until it had opened fire on him. He cursed again, he was pinned and things were looking desperate. At times like this, all a soldier could do was pray.
"Sarge! We're getting a transmission!" His signalman called as he crawled towards Kretschmann's position.
"The lieutenant? Do we have reinforcements?"
"It's… It's the Argent! Listen!" The man replied, offering up his headset to the sergeant.
"I repeat, All Imperial forces in Tiengenhoff. This is the 203rd Aerial Battalion. Hold your ground, leave the commies to us!"
The news should have left Kretschmann elated but instead, he found himself staring at the headset dumbly. It was impossible, it had been the voice of a child on the radio, a young girl to boot. He'd heard stories from the Rhine soldiers of course, they all had, but he'd always assumed them to be nothing more than tall tales from the propaganda people to shame grown men into fighting for their country. Could this girl really be her?
He wasn't given time to think on this any further however as another cry "Ura! Ura! Ura!" echoed around the fog. The reds were moving in for their final assault.
He hefted his weapon back over the wall as a wall of charging federation soldiers came screaming through the fog towards his position. Each man firing as he sped towards him, seemingly uncaring as their comrades fell to the fire of his men. There were too many of them, numbers would win this fight, if they stayed Kretschmann and his men would be quickly overrun.
Fearing his luck had finally run out, he began to order a retreat but the words were caught in his mouth a loud whomph drowned out his voice as it echoed through the fog. His eyes followed the noise and a blur cut through the fog and passed in front of the charging figures.
Screams now replaced the Russy war cry as blood and ichor erupted in the wake of the mysterious blur; the front rank of advancing enemies falling as they were sliced to ribbons. A sudden series of eruptions followed, erasing the second rank before Kretschmann could even make out their features in the smog and the Russy assault began to falter as it reeled from the unexpected chaos.
He heard more screams from the fog accompanied by a frenzied bark of gunfire and the clash of metal. The remaining visible federation troops began to panic and run, disappearing back into the fog and the mercy of whatever the blur was.
He watched, mystified as the enemy that had been so close to driving them back evaporated in front of him. His prayers had been answered, an avenging angel had spared him from the communist onslaught, but how could that be? What had saved them?
Suddenly, more figures descended from the sky like the Valkyries from the Old Norse legends. At their head was a beautiful young woman, firing twin pistols towards the fleeing communists as she glided down in front of him.
"Looks like we got here just in time." She said with a smile that forced Kretschmann to remind himself that he was a married man. "What's your status? Where is your commander?"
"I'm not sure Ma'am. We were about to be overrun, last time we heard from him was−."
That was when the sorrowful childlike voice filled the air. He could not understand the words, he had never learned the Russy's strange alphabet, but the boy's mournful tone cut through the air regardless and sent shivers down his spine. He found himself feeling moved by the boy's cries and suddenly felt compelled to charge in to help him. However, he caught himself, mindful that an officer was present.
"He's calling on them to surrender." The woman said wistfully, her voice matching the tone of the unseen boy slaughtering the Russy soldiers in the fog. They all stared into the smoke for a moment as they listened to the boy's pained cries.
"Who?" Kretschmann whispered unable to tear his eyes from the mist, searching for the source of the voice.
"Why, the Saint of Letzenbourg, of course. Who else?" The woman replied with a soft chuckle, turning to him with another smile.
The Saint? He's real too? He exclaimed internally, unable to voice his surprise. Both White Silver and the Saint were not only real, but here in Tiegenhoff. Someone up there obviously liked him, his prayers really had been answered. However, his soldier's instinct scratched at the back of his mind, warning him of impending danger.
"Shit!" He exclaimed, despite being in the presence of a lady. "There pulling back! They'll open up with the artillery again soon! Everyone to cover! Miss, please get the Saint and follow me to…"
Had he not been in such a panic, he might have enjoyed the woman's beautiful laugh. It was warm, calming, and despite the danger they were in, strangely infectious. However, at this moment it was so out of place that the sergeant could only stare at her with confusion, as his hindbrain kept his ears open for the impending artillery strike.
"I wouldn't worry about that." The woman grinned as the thunder of a distant explosion caused Kretschmann to instinctively flinch. She raised her hand to her breast, the orb glowing slightly as she summoned the mana for a spell and suddenly the air filled with the voice of the young girl from before.
"Pixie one to Bluebell company, we've neutralised the armour and artillery. What's your status?"
"Impossible!" Kretschmann whispered under his breath. The Federation artillery had been heavily defended, they'd lost almost all their mages trying to take it out. Even the air fleet would have struggled to destroy them. Yet it seemed the Argent and her battalion had smashed them without even breaking a sweat!
"Pixie one this is Bluebell two, we've made contact with the defenders and have repelled the Federation assault." The woman replied, speaking into her orb, seemingly unmoved by the miracle that White Silver had performed. "Should we pursue?"
"I leave that to your Captain's discretion." The girl replied curtly as Kretschmann looked on. "But before you go, give our hosts a treat from the battalion's stash as an apology for being so late."
The Woman turned to him and smiled once more as one of the men by her side produced two bottles from his pack.
"Well Sergeant, do you prefer wine or beer?"
25th March Unified Year 1926 18:00
Ottokar Square, Tiegenhoff
"Just shut the hell up!" Will growled quietly as the smirking face of Ludwig mocked him from the reflection in his wash water. It was infuriating how the spectre was always there, ready to torment and snicker at him just outside his perception. The bastard had a bad habit of turning up at the worst possible moments and he must have really gotten a kick out of watching him pointlessly slaughter the communists.
"So what if they're not paying the debt? Its self-defence! It's not my fault the Russy attacked! If the monster cared, he wouldn't have let them do it in the first place!" He continued plunging his hands into the wash basin in an attempt to chase the vision away before he could argue further.
Ludwig had always tried to make his life more difficult. Although he no longer had to fear the man attempting to drug him or drag him off to some torture disguised as medical treatment, it sometimes felt that he'd been far more troublesome since his untimely demise. He always had to be there to point out every flaw or mistake Will made. He had to be nearby to laugh at every misfortune he suffered and remind him how close he was to being swallowed up by the monster that demanded so much from him.
"I hate you." Will whispered as he washed the dried blood splatter from his face. At least when he'd been alive he had only been distantly cruel. He almost missed the emotionless hatred that radiated from the living Ludwig; it was infinitely preferable to the mockery of the hate-filled spectre.
He let out a sigh as he prepared himself for whatever torture Ludwig had in mind for him next. The ghost would probably want to point out that he didn't need to be here killing Federation soldiers; he'd been doing so for no reason and thus deserved all the derision the apparition aimed at him. That was why he hadn't bothered checking the number on the sword, after all, he knew there was little chance of finding faithful souls in the Federation army.
Ludwig would gleefully point out that he could easily arrange to be assigned elsewhere, somewhere with better targets for paying the debt. He would take great joy in reminding him that if he wanted to survive, he'd be better off leaving Tanya to deal with the mess she'd made in the east and that Will had more than enough of his own problems to worry about. His possible obliteration being first amongst them.
Then again, he'd also taunt him if he did try to leave. Not only would he scorn him for abandoning someone he cared about he would also throw insults at him for every number he added to the toll on the sword. He always had something to say if Will even took the slightest bit of comfort from a death that went towards freeing him from the monstrous god's curse. It didn't matter to Ludwig that none of their deaths were really his fault. As far as Ludwig was concerned Will was in the wrong no matter what he did.
Just as he had in life, the man enjoyed nothing more than tormenting him.
He dunked his hands back into the now reddening water before the smug face could reform. He wasn't about to give the spirit the satisfaction of having the last word. He may need to deal with his debt but it was also critical that he preserve what was important to him; he couldn't allow a repeat of what had happened in the south. Ludwig's goading was just the monster's way of tricking him so that it could take more from him. He needed to keep a rational mind and deal with the most pressing problem before he could safely pay his dues to God. That meant doing what he could to protect Tanya, even if it meant saving her from herself.
"I hope my performance meets your expectations at least." He grumbled sarcastically, taking his eyes off the crimson water and glancing at the distant figure of the girl talking to the commander of this dismal little city. She was another person that always had to make things difficult for him, but at least he knew that one day he'd get her to admit all the good he'd done for her. He was genuinely looking forward to hearing her apologise to him. He might even get to see her blush.
That being said, this time he'd probably gone a little too far in his attempt to make Tanya eat her words. The reprimand he'd received on the day of Sophia's return had still stung when they arrived at the besieged city, and he'd resolved to do his best to make her regret ever accusing him of "failing to take the fight to the enemy." He couldn't allow her to claim he was lacking on the battlefield after all, and there was a reason why people said to be careful what you wish for.
He'd made a point of being especially aggressive in this assault, making sure that there was plenty of evidence for Tanya to see how much effort he'd put into taking down the enemy. If she was so worried about his performance, he'd make sure to put on a show for her. At least that was the idea. In hindsight, it might have been slightly petty.
By the end of the assault, he'd been covered in enough gore that he could have passed for a clumsy abattoir worker. Although the monster had pre-ordained the deaths of the soldiers he'd needlessly killed, it didn't make him feel much better about the manner of their dispatch. The idea that the creature had placed them here purposely so he could show Tanya his enthusiasm for war was particularly distasteful. Then again, from what he knew about what Tanya called Being X, he could hardly be surprised that the thing would do something so foul.
Still, it did have the desired effect.
He'd almost wanted to laugh when he saw the initial look of surprise on the girl's face when he'd reported back to her. It was funny to see her so shocked considering her own reputation for brutality. She couldn't possibly claim he wasn't putting the effort in now.
He'd been less fond of the mild look of disgust that had followed soon after however, or the muttered comment about how he was a war maniac, but he had at least proven his point. Still, the reward of seeing Tanya's face scrunch up in irritation as he'd innocently asked "Isn't this what you ordered?" almost didn't feel worth it. Particularly since the whole operation had come at a price.
Being covered in the blood and brain matter of one's enemies was not exactly conducive to his "saintly" reputation. Even with his habitual calls for the enemy to surrender in their mother tongue, it didn't really fit with the persona he preferred to project. He'd been so focused on getting one up on Tanya that he'd gone a little overboard and there was a good chance that some of the others might be a little worried about the change. He imagined his own men would be concerned at the very least.
He'd managed to mostly play it off though, or at least he hoped so. A few well-placed tears were enough to convince the local soldiers that he'd only gone so far because he feared for their safety; acting like an upset child was quite effective at times. His excuse had been convincing enough for them to fetch him some water to clean up with at least, along with a hot drink and some time alone to "pray" for those who had fallen in the battle. Or at least as alone as anyone harassed by spirits could be.
Meanwhile, he'd kept some distance between himself and the rest of the battalion. He would need to be more subtle to convince them of his well-being, especially Sophia and his own company. Such things took time and needed to be done properly. Besides they had other duties to see to, he would have time to do something to reinforce his image later.
He hadn't been able to join Tanya for her meeting with General von Scholtz as he would have preferred however; Tanya had been adamant that he not go near the man while he was in such a state. Perhaps she thought him an embarrassment?
Damn, I shouldn't have let her get to me, I shouldn't have been so petty. He cursed himself, feeling Ludwig sneering in agreement at the edge of his perception. He hated that the spectre was pleased with all this.
Of course showing up to a meeting with a general covered in was a stupid idea, he looked a far cry from the heroic prince he was supposed to be. This meant he was left watching her attempts to ingratiate herself from a distance, unable to interject or steer the conversation towards more useful subjects and away from any potential pitfalls. It would be just like her to inadvertently suggest another mission to score some extra brownie points; it was like she wanted to put herself in harm's way. He just hoped she wouldn't say or do anything to make things too difficult for him.
"Prince Wilhelm sir?" The voice of Tanya's adjutant called breaking him from his thoughts, quickly followed by the more familiar voice of his own assistant. "My Prince."
He broke his gaze from the distant figures and allowed himself a genuine smile as the two young women approached. Although he had originally wanted to be alone, a combination of his brother's taunting and his own dark thoughts had put a swift end to that desire. Ludwig usually stayed quiet when there were other people around; some company was most welcome.
Visha had been hanging around Sophia quite a lot lately, whenever their duties permitted, and she'd been one of the most excited to see Sophia return. Perhaps it was simply because there were so few female officers in the group, but she seemed to see her as a sort of surrogate older sister. Will almost felt a little jealous about how well they were getting on.
Strangely, Sophia seemed eager to reciprocate the gesture and Will wasn't sure how he felt about it. Although she and Christina were twins, it had been the latter that had always filled the role of the responsible older sister in their little family. It felt strange to see Sophia stepping into that role now she was gone.
But whose fault is it she isn't coming back? He heard at the back of his mind, causing him to instinctively glance at the reflection in the water again. This time he only saw his own face; Ludwig had retreated for now and Will wasn't entirely sure who the thought had belonged to.
"Since we'll be staying here for a little while, I asked the Lieutenant here to help arrange our billets." Sophia began, breaking his thoughts away from the spirit and causing another involuntary twinge of sadness in Will's chest.
Christina had always been the one to sort out that sort of thing, she'd been so organised that accommodation for him and his soldiers had usually been planned before they had arrived, even on the worst battlefields. She'd always done her best to make sure everything was perfect so that he and Sophia could see to their own duties without distraction. The only time she'd ever failed was in the south and that had been entirely his fault. His attempt to undermine Tanya with paperwork had inadvertently sabotaged her efforts in that regard but even then, she worked tirelessly to clear up the mess that he'd made.
It was hardly surprising Sophia needed Visha's assistance. Even after he'd sent the sisters away everything had all been taken care for him. One of the last things the bespectacled maid had done before the incident was to arrange the company's accommodation and replacement gear. She'd even planned for Sergeant Litz to act as a valet if either she or Sophia were unavailable. Neither Sophia nor Will had ever needed to organise this sort of thing by themselves. She'd always been there to look after them.
The sad twinge was soon replaced by curiosity however as he noted the mischievous smile forming on Sophia's face. A glance towards the worried looking adjutant next to her confirmed that things weren't quite what they seemed and Will began to wonder what trick the older woman had up her sleeve.
"We've been given the use of part of the Imperial Grand Hotel to use as a barracks and HQ." Visha began to explain, continuing to look a little worried. "The Major said to assign rooms depending on rank but due to the space, most of the company commanders are sharing. But I thought… well you are royalty…and erm…"
Will felt his lips turn into a grin as he began to understand; the dear Major had put the girl in a little bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, due to Tanya's meddling, Will was now only a humble captain and company commander. As such, according to her instructions, he should be given rooms comparable to the other middling-grade officers. Tanya's strict adherence to the idea of meritocracy meant it was unthinkable that he might stay anywhere else. However, the Empire outside the military was still very much built on status and social connections; people expected certain individuals to be treated a certain way.
Visha was a little more socially aware and had realised that, as a prince, his status easily trumped all of them. On top of that, everyone was aware that he had certain security concerns. She probably thought he expected a suite to himself.
The adjutant had also likely realised that it would likely make her superior look bad if the Emperor's favoured nephew was offered subpar accommodation. The girl was fiercely loyal to Tanya, as well as a little cautious about upsetting her, she would do everything in her power to make sure the younger girl didn't inadvertently shame herself.
He and the close combat company had been forced to share before of course, but in that case, it had been at his request, so they had neatly stepped over any potential pitfalls. This time the shoe was on the other foot however and although he did not doubt all the mages being quartered in Tiegenhoff's premier hotel would all be very comfortable sharing the opulent rooms, it would still be odd for a VIP to be placed in a makeshift dorm. There was the potential the Tiegenhoff garrison might get the wrong idea about the honourable Argent if she was seen to snub him.
Or at least, that is what the girl likely feared.
"Oh? Has Tanya already taken the Kaiser Suite?" Will chucked shooting Visha a smile. She was honestly making far too big of a deal about the whole thing. "Cousin Regina said it was very luxurious when she visited last summer. I was quite looking forward to staying there myself."
The girl went slightly pale for a moment as her worries were momentarily confirmed before Sophia broke in.
"I still have the list of the other places she visited if you want to see them while we're here my prince. I understand Tiegenhoff has some beautiful botanical gardens." Sophia added stifling a giggle at her side.
"You're making fun of me aren't you?" Visha responded with a pout, realising her mistake as she glanced between the two of them causing both him and Sophia to let out a giggle.
"Sorry Visha, but you don't need to worry too much about where to put me. I'll put the word out that I've donated my private suite to the battalion to use as office space." He replied with a reassuring smile as the girl let out a sigh of relief.
In truth it would be better for him this way, it would help reinforce his image and make it more difficult for any potential communist operatives in the city to find him. Although one day, once this war was all over, he dearly hoped he'd get to enjoy some of the luxury his status and wealth afforded. He'd done enough dirty work in this lifetime, he deserved to live a life of leisure.
"Besides." he continued doing his best to hide his mischievous intent as he smiled at her. He wasn't finished teasing her quite yet. "I've shared with Tanya before, it will be nice to spend some time together again."
Considering the young lieutenant had a reputation as a card shark, she was surprisingly bad at maintaining a poker face. Will could only assume her opponent's attention had been elsewhere when she'd parted them from their hard-earned cash.
Her face had contorted into an undisguised look of panic and the sideways glance towards their distant commander told him that the topic of him and Tanya sharing quarters again had been mentioned sometime before this. Likely with the phrase: "under no circumstances" being thrown around by the smaller girl.
Will couldn't help but chuckle to himself, it was always fun to get under Tanya's skin. Doubly so if he knew he could do it without even being present.
"Failing that, a small room to myself somewhere out of the way will be fine." Will continued, taking pity on the girl, it was far more fun to tease Tanya anyway. "If possible, I'd rather not share with the other officers, it's… a little embarrassing."
After years of practising deceiving people, it was easy to force a small blush onto his face to reinforce the idea he would feel a little bashful around the older men. It was a lie of course, although like all good falsehoods it contained a grain of truth.
His true reason for wanting a room to himself was that he feared anyone would find out about his night terrors. Sophia knew of course, and he had been prepared to let Tanya in on the secret when they'd shared a tent in the south, but he couldn't let anyone else know about them. If it were to get out the 'noble saint' was nothing but a baby suffering from nightmares he'd lose all respect. They might even use it as a justification for forcing him away from the front lines. He couldn't risk it, not until the debt was paid.
"I'll see what I can do." The girl declared before offering a salute and heading back to her duties. Will had no doubt she'd come through for them, she was almost as talented as Christina when it came to scrounging up whatever the battalion needed from the local forces.
Perhaps I should try to have her moved away with Tanya too. He wondered to himself as his gaze drifted back towards their commander in the distance, still deep in conversation with the general. Part of him wanted to make sure that everyone in the battalion would make it through all this alive, but he knew it was a foolish thing to even think of attempting. Even with all his wealth he couldn't buy a free ticket out of this for everyone.
"My Prince, is it wise to leave Major Degurechaff alone with the general like that?" Sophia interjected, lowering her voice as she followed his gaze.
"It can't hurt for her to make a few new friends." Will replied eventually, not taking his eyes off the distant girl. It was still a risk, but overall it was something he could probably mitigate if needs be by introducing himself to the general later. "Hobnobbing with the local brass should at least keep her from finding out what we're up to. Do we have any news on that?"
"You were right about the foreign ministry, our sources say they're itching to find someone as a scapegoat for why this escalated from a border scuffle. They say it's impossible to settle this around the table now. They're doing everything they can to force the Supreme High Command to start a probe into what happened during the raid." The woman began explaining before frowning slightly. "The problem is the General Staff, for once they are in complete agreement and refuse to even contemplate the possibility of an investigation of a loyal officer."
"As well they should, Tanya went overboard but she technically did nothing wrong. It sets a bad precedent to punish soldiers for following orders." Will replied, allowing himself a smile as a look of confusion crossed Sophia's face. "With a little more manoeuvring, the High command will have to force the issue however, Bertie must be in a bit of a bind. Any idea how long it'll be?"
"It's a little up in the air at the moment. I'm told everyone is still in too much of a panic about the invasion to focus on it." The woman replied as the look of confusion on her face grew deeper. "But if she did nothing wrong, why are you pushing for an investigation?"
"You'll see." Will allowed his grin to widen. Sometimes it's easier to manipulate the situation rather than the person, he added to himself silently as he stared back at the distant figure of Tanya.
"Until then, we'll just have to make sure we keep her in one piece."
April 17th Unified Year 1926 04:00
People's Party Meeting Hall Underground Bunker, Moscau, Russy Federation
Serge Krugov rarely allowed himself the luxury of a smile. Although he had on occasion taken a certain amount of pride in fulfilling his duty to rid the Federation of those opposed to Dzhugashvili's utopian vision, he refused to allow the enjoyment to show on his face. Not while so many enemies of the state went unpunished. Not while sacrifices still needed to be made to bring about paradise.
He was all too aware that his work in the Commissariat for internal affairs was a regrettable necessity, at least until the communist message had been spread to all corners of the globe. He hoped that one day, people like him would not be needed. That was when he would allow himself to feel the pride of a job well done; to smile as he once had when he was a child.
However, until that day he considered it a betrayal of party ideals to take joy from a task that ran counter to the ideals of the revolution. Even the pleasure of delivering justice to traitors was, in a way, sedition against the cause he had always fought for. In the same way that it was his duty to suppress sedition in the populace of the Federation, it was also his duty to suppress the failings of his spirit.
And in that, he would not fail.
This view was not something shared by his superior, however, it never had been. It wasn't unusual to see the spymaster wear a sly smile or self-satisfied smirk after uncovering some particularly interesting information or performing an especially brutal interrogation. However, the smile he wore today was different, one normally reserved for his more private and distasteful activities. One rarely seen by others.
It was all Krugov could do to restrain himself from beating the odious little man to a pulp. It was bad enough watching him wear that lecherous smirk when he was leering over the young girls of the capital or after he'd finished with one of his "playthings" and expected Krugov to clear up the mess. But to wear such a face in front of the central committee? In front of Comrade Dzhugashvili himself? Such disrespect was intolerable. Had he not been so useful to the General Secretary, Krugov would have dragged him off to the darkest cell in the Lubyanka by now.
However, the General Secretary's attention was focused elsewhere and unlike Loria, he wore a deep and thoughtful frown as he puffed on his pipe. A look directed at General Pavliv, the commander of the forces invading the Empire, who was now fidgeting awkwardly under the man's gaze. Comrade Dzhugashvili had summoned the man specifically for this meeting; whether he would leave it in chains or not had yet to be decided.
"Comrade General, you assured me that the eastern sectors of the Empire would be completely under our control by now. Yet this is not the case." The General Secretary observed quietly, removing his pipe from his mouth and placing it by the ashtray in front of him as he spoke.
The Secretary did not ask why but the question was implicit in his tone. Comrade Dzhugashvili was not above acts of clemency for those who failed if the reason was good enough, however, he would not offer mercy for those without the skill or loyalty to achieve the goals set out for them. The fight for their communist utopia was a fight for the soul of the nation. Its leaders needed to perform their best or be replaced with someone who could; now more than ever.
"I..I apologise Comrade Secretary." The man began stammering a reply, "the Empire's increased readiness brought on by−."
"You assured me that Imperial defences were weak and that even with an increased presence our forces would easily take the key cities and supply hubs to threaten their heartland." The secretary cut in, carefully emptying the ash from his pipe. "Are you telling me this is not the case?"
"Yes… I mean no Comrade, you see the Imperial mages are managing to penetrate our lines and strike at our logistics network. Under the circumstances, we are struggling to−.″ The man continued, stopping as the secretary raised a hand to silence the man
"Perhaps if you had not left a city to act as a convenient base of operations for them, we would not have this problem. You removed the bulk of your forces from the city before it was taken, and the Imperials managed to dig in. Am I to assume this miscalculation is incompetence? Or a deliberate attempt to undermine our efforts?"
Krugov tensed with expectation and knocked on the door to alert the guards their presence would soon be needed. However, before the Secretary could continue, Loria let out a small cough to interrupt and attract the attention of the rest of the room.
"If I may interject Comrade Secretary, General Pavliv's inadequate performance is not entirely to blame here." The bespectacled man interjected, still wearing his sickening grin. "Although it is true that he removed key forces from the city before it was fully under our control, my political officers in the field confirm that our forces are having some difficulty dealing with the Empire's magicians."
Krugov wasn't sure who was most surprised by the spymaster's sudden defence of the general. The committee members stared at the little man with undisguised shock while the general himself wore a strange mix of relief, fear and confusion on his face. The Secretary however, offered only a raised eyebrow as he redirected his gaze at Loria; it wasn't often that anyone contradicted Comrade Dzhugashvili.
Krugov balled his hands into fists as he did his best to control his temper; such disrespect towards their great leader was almost too much to bear. Had the decision been his, he would have gladly dragged the odious little man away and beaten him within an inch of his life. However, the General Secretary seemed more curious than angry at the man, at least for the moment. It seemed Krugov's duty to assist the spymaster would not come to an end just yet.
"We appear to be having trouble countering them across the front, however, it is the mages that have made a nest in Tiegenhoff who are of particular interest." Loria continued, his smile beaming further causing Krugov to tighten his fists further.
"Yes! As I said they are able to cut off our supplies to the front and have made it almost impossible to move our artillery closer to the city. They–"
"That is not why they are of interest fool!" Loria snapped, the smile falling from his face as he silenced the man with a hateful glare before turning back to the Secretary with his sickening smile returning. "My information suggests that the unit stationed in Tiegenhoff is the same one that attacked the capital. The one that dared make a mockery of our great nation."
The room filled with surprised murmurs as the committee members processed the shocking news. However, Krugov maintained his gaze on the disgusting little man proudly smirking at the table in front of him.
Loria had been wearing that disgusting grin since he had heard the news; along with the occasional faraway look as he muttered to himself about his "precious angel." Krugov had even caught him drooling at times. No doubt imagining what he might do once they captured the girl who had led the devious brigade that had shamed the motherland. It sickened him.
"You're certain?" Asked Comrade Bukharin, the People's Commissar for Communication, urgently, looking as though he'd just been handed a gift. As the defacto controller of the country's propaganda, he'd been having a difficult time since the attack on Moscau. Faith in the party had been shaken and it was up to him to bring the people peacefully back into the fold before they were tempted to do something they'd regret. He had been desperately throwing any piece of good news into Pravda in the hopes of curbing the unrest in the country, knowing if he did not, the NKDV would do it for him. He was no doubt aware; this would mean his ruin.
"My sources are rarely wrong, comrade." The bespectacled man replied, injecting a hint of menace into his voice despite the hideous grin still plastered across his face. This was no idle boast, under his leadership the Commissariat for Internal Affairs had become highly efficient at gathering and processing information from both in and out of the country. Loria was no doubt insulted that his word would be questioned so openly. The communication minister was lucky the spymaster was in such a good mood. "We've also confirmed it with the Commonwealth's intelligence services. It seems they are quite keen to prove their worthiness in our partnership."
Krugov ground his teeth at the mention of the island nation and its puppet dominions. Although he could see the need to collaborate with those already fighting with the Empire, he found the idea of working with the Anglo-Saxons repulsive.
Of all the nations of Europa, they were the most attached to the flawed notion of class structure. Not only did they have an unfathomable attachment to their monarchy, but their so-called democracy was dominated by rich and powerful men that had gained it through centuries of oppressing those they deemed below them. Despite this, they had somehow managed to shackle the workers so thoroughly that they believed they were content to be enslaved to the bourgeoisie and nobility. It was disgusting how brainwashed they all were.
It grated on his nerves to have to work alongside people whose values were so far removed from his noble communist ideals. Especially since he was certain that the Allied Kingdom had not ceased their clandestine intelligence gathering in the federation as they had promised. When he found evidence of their wrongdoing, he might even allow himself to feel a small amount of joy when unmasking their duplicity. However, until then he had no choice but to put up with their snobbish attitude. They were after all, frustratingly good at unearthing the Empire's secrets.
Dastardly minds think alike.
"I propose mobilising our reserves to assault the city and capture the magicians that shamed the motherland." Loria declared spreading his arms out theatrically, excitement filling his voice. "If we are able to bring them back to Moscau, their punishment would both inspire the people and shame the Empire!"
The man was breathing heavily by the end of his declaration and his eyes glowed with zealous passion. For those that did not know his dirty little secret, he might have seemed overcome by patriotic fervour. They may have even been inspired by the display.
Krugov knew him better than that however and found the shameful display repulsive. It was his desire to do unspeakable things to the mage girl that was driving him, not some sense of pride and duty to the motherland. That he would show this perversion so openly in front of the General Secretary, was an affront to everything he stood for and Krugov found himself willing Comrade Dzhugashvili to order his immediate execution. However, the Secretary simply nodded thoughtfully before packing fresh tobacco into his pipe.
"Such an outcome would be most beneficial, both on a domestic and international level." He observed, his intervention taking the attention away from the salivating spy chief. "Will anyone second this motion?"
Several of the committee members practically jumped at the opportunity to provide the necessary supporting opinion to the proposal. Each of the sycophantic councillors eager to score political points with the General Secretary by endorsing the plan that he had given his tacit approval to. It was only General Pavliv who was willing to voice an objection. A curious decision considering it had yet to be decided if he would survive the meeting.
"If we move so many of our forces up to the city, it will surely be noticed. They'd be targeted by the same mages we want to eliminate!" He warned, causing the room to fall into silence as all eyes fell on him.
"That is why we will use the same method as when we originally moved our forces to the border." Loria cut in breaking the sudden silence. "I will see to it personally that no one will leak the details of the attack this time."
The implied threat silenced almost everyone in the room, no one wanted to end up like Pavlovich. However, it seemed the General still had some concerns that even a threat from the commissariat of internal affairs could not keep him silent about.
"The Empire will be watching the rail routes around the city. As soon as they see anything they'll reinforce the city and commit more air power to harass our units as they prepare!" By this point, he almost sounded as though he were pleading, but Loria had an answer to his worry ready and waiting, he'd been planning all this from the moment he'd found out the mages were in Tiegenhoff.
"That is why your remaining forces will redouble their efforts along the rest of the front, both the mages in Tiegenhoff and other Imperial forces along the front will be too preoccupied to pay too much attention to the movements so far behind our lines."
"But the casualties −"
"Are a regrettable necessity of war." Comrade Dzhugashvili interrupted, relighting his pipe and putting an end to the debate as the general shrank further into his chair.
For the first time in his life, Krugov felt a twinge of doubt as he considered the secretary's decision to back Loria's scheme. On the one hand, smashing such a tactically important position was a wise strategic move and the capture and punishment of those who had wronged the Federation would go a long way toward restoring faith in the party. He was certain that such an outcome would be worth the sacrifice of the soldiers along the front. If it had been him in their shoes, he would be honoured to die for the motherland.
Yet, knowing Loria's true reasons tainted the entire plan. It appalled him to know that his great nation's strength was, in part at least, being expended to satiate the perverted lust of such a discussing little toad.
"Sacrifices must be made." He whispered to himself under his breath, taking strength from the mantra as he balled his fists in frustration.
"How many troops can we bring against the city." The Secretary continued.
"We have ten divisions in reserve including armour, air and artillery support. A force like that should be easily able to force them into submission." Loria proclaimed proudly. It was quite likely he had a better understanding of what forces the military had available than the Red Army chief of staff at this point. He had directed a decent portion of the NKDV towards the task of finding what was necessary to achieve success in this endeavour. "And I suggest General Pavliv oversee the operation."
"M…Me?" the general spluttered in surprise, a sentiment echoed by much of the room. It seemed Krugov wasn't alone in the assumption that the general wouldn't be returning to the front. He couldn't help but wonder why Loria would choose him to lead when he had already failed to deliver the results he had originally promised.
"Of course, Comrade. It will be a fine opportunity for you to redeem yourself." Loria turned on him, his grin morphing into something more sinister as he spoke. "The failures on the front were in part your fault after all."
Ah, now I see, Krugov thought to himself as he watched the spymaster's grin turn from perversion to calculating cruelty. Despite his dislike of the man, Krugov couldn't help but marvel at how devious he could be. He'd positioned himself so that he could take all the credit if this operation was successful. Simply proposing the plan was enough to gain the favour of the General Secretary and with ten divisions, success was practically guaranteed. However, by putting Pavliv in command of the operation, he shielded himself from any responsibility should it somehow fail. His previous failure made him a perfect scapegoat while motivating him to do his best to succeed.
Such politicking was how Loria had gotten his position on the committee in the first place, he'd even seen to the removal of his predecessor. However, this was precisely why he, like the others, should be purged from it once his usefulness was up. None of them could be trusted to act in the name of the party as comrade Dzhugashvili did.
"I would be honoured comrade." The general replied although it was clear he felt nothing of the sort as the committee put the motion to a vote.
"I also suggest using the Commonwealth's international volunteer army in this assault." Loria added once the vote was passed unanimously, although all the members had waited until the Secretary raised his hand to cast their votes. "It would go some way towards countering the mage disparity and allow our allies to feel as though they are doing something other than tying up the imperial air fleet in the west."
Krugov frowned again as he thought about the Albish volunteers. As far as he was concerned foreign mages were no less of a threat than those he had worked so hard to imprison. Just because they were agents of a so-called allied power didn't mean their goal wasn't the same as the tsar's lackeys. All any mage wanted was to flaunt their power and oppress those that did not possess their gifts. They were no different from the nobility that had done the same with their wealth and influence.
However, the rest of the committee did not seem to share his disdain.
"Yes…Yes! We can frame their participation as the world united against the Imperial dogs that committed the atrocities in Moscau and Arene!" The communications commissar added enthusiastically, keen to do all he could to turn the public's anger into something constructive.
"But is it wise to rely too much on their support? We've had Pravda reporting our fighters are easily dealing with the imperial's magicians, if we rely too heavily on the commonwealth mages, our rivals might start asking questions." Interjected Commissar for foreign affairs Skryabin, much to Krugov's relief. At least someone in the group had a healthy distrust of relying on foreigners.
"It's only one unit. We can easily downplay any contribution they might have." The communications commissar replied dismissively, "Besides, with such a large attacking force, it's doubtful they'll have much to do anyway!"
Krugov sighed as the committee echoed a chorus of agreement. He would have much preferred the Federation gain vengeance without the help of such fair-weather allies. Still, the man was probably right.
"If there is nothing else." Comrade Dzhugashvili declared getting to his feet as the motion once again passed unanimously.
"One more thing General Secretary!" Loria cut in urgently, his perverted grin returning to his face. "The imperial mage girl?"
Dzhugashvili stared at the little toad for a moment and Krugov silently wished for his leader to finally order what needed to be done with the man. To finally allow him to rid the world of him and bring some sort of justice to all of his victims. But it seemed, today was not that day.
"Bring me victory Comrade, and you can do with her what you will."
Author's notes
Hello everyone and, as usual, thank you for reading, reviewing and favouriting.
I know I always apologise for how long I take to update, but since it's taken over two months now I feel I really really owe you all an apology. I took a little break from writing over Christmas and new year and then a combination of struggling to get back into the swing of things and wanting to rewrite everything I'd already done on this chapter really put me behind. Hopefully, the wait is somewhat worth it.
There is some good news though, new artwork for the Saint! One sent to me by one of you kind readers Kurohime25 and created by Ratobe27 on Twitter and one commissioned by my long-suffering beta reader Vimy-Vickers and created by _Jebiii, the maestro who has created all the artwork for me in the past. (Please go check them out).
I have changed the cover of the story on here however if you want to see all the artwork more easily, please search Lord0Solus in deviant art (this site won't let me add a link here unfortunately).
I find writing these sorts of chapters kind of tricky as it feels a lot like I'm just trying to link to the scenes that I already have somewhat mapped out in my head but I tried my best to make sure I put in some bits to make it interesting. I'm especially pleased with Will's part as I was beginning to feel like I was inadvertently dropping him seeing the ghost of Ludwig. Although that is probably because I haven't written much from his POV recently.
I hope you all are still enjoying the story and thank you again for reading.
Xanen