The town that was occupied was now a shadow of its former self. Buildings were either burning to the ground or already rubble, but it became their protection against the Gotorans. Captain Alexei Vonel watched the fighting intensify through his binoculars. Akhrosimov's tanks were using the ruins as cover while the infantry fought off Gotoran assault troops trying to storm their positions. They were successful against the attacks, but they needed some form of respite against continuous reinforcements. The blessing was that they could not bring their tanks to bear, which was less tank and more like tracked armored cars with machine guns.
The cavalry remained in their positions, maintaining their secrecy while providing recon for Colonel Akhrosimov in his command tank. It was good that they remained quiet while the Gotorrans remained unaware of their presence as his cavalrymen were no match for the more modern weaponry of war. "It looks good. Everything looks good. All we just need is a report that the POWs made it through."
The situation changed when they heard a shrieking cry from above. A moment later, a loud explosion had erupted in the middle of the town. Buildings that remained standing were shaken by the shock, causing them to collapse on themselves as another followed after the first barrage.
Alexei looked to his right to see a radioman laying down beside him, reaching for the phone. "Can you get any contact with the colonel?"
He nodded for a moment and was quick to reply. "Sir, the colonel's vehicle has been hit. He's shaken up a bit, but he's on the receiving end of the artillery. He wants to know if you can locate the guns."
Captain Vonel immediately took a good look at the situation from his position. He looked to the north to find that the Gotorrans had taken up positions near the town. Then his eyes caught a glimpse of some puffs of smoke appearing in the distance. As he brought his binoculars to his eyes, he saw tracked vehicles armed with heavy caliber guns that were manned by exposed crewmen who were loading and readjusting their guns. "Self-propelled guns. If they can't take the town by force, they are going to tear it down."
"Captain, what are we going to do?" The signaller asked, "The colonel and his men can't take that kind of punishment and they're too dug in to get their tanks out."
He considered his options, but sadly, there were barely any options. "The Gotorans will have an easier time storming their positions once that barrage is over."
"Orders, sir?"
Alexei realized that the colonel and his men would be damned if they take another assault. The young man knew that attacking those guns would be suicide, especially with horses, but there was no other option. They had to try and ease the pressure on Akhrosimov and his tanks. He wanted to resist the urge to say it; however, time was against him. "We need to gather the entire company and take out those SPGs before they get to the colonel."
The look on the radioman's face was nothing more than concern. He had to issue out the command to prepare for a cavalry charge. Then he reluctantly reached for the phone and spoke, "All personnel of the company, take your final drink. We charge."
Now that it was said, the captain moved away from the edge of the ridge in search of his horse. He was going to personally lead this endeavor.
It was a calm evening at the saloon. Gus served another glass of beer, but it was to Alexei's guest, who eagerly drank down his filling with glee. As he began to clean the glass with his rag, the stranger passed a few more coins over the counter. "Mind if I get a salad and some spaghetti? I'll be needing that on my way back."
He nodded his head and decided to get some small-talk out of him. "You seem to go on long travels if you need it for later."
"Yeah, government work tends to do that. Honestly, your menu is a sight for sore eyes when compared to the amount of crap Joja puts on its shelves."
Gus felt happy that he was being credited for the food. "Ah, you can thank Emily for the cooking. I just handle the drinks." He admitted as he grew curious about a friend of Alexei, "I don't know a lot of foreigners who work for the government, what kind of job do you have?"
His eyes fell upon him like a hawk as he took a sip of his beer. "If you wanted to know, I would have to kill you."
Somehow, the bartender was a bit surprised by the brunt nature of his answer. "Oh, I'm completely sorry."
"I'm just fucking with you," He said jokingly, "I migrated to this country and ended up as an inspector as a job, but it is mostly around the countryside and checking if people do their maintenance and whatnot. It's not the most glorious job as a special agent going to nice hotels and meeting beautiful women."
Gus laughed. "It sounds like you know from experience."
Mr. Caullinski leaned forward on his stool. "Some of my friends work in some of the agencies and so I hear a thing or two."
"So how did you and Alexei meet? I heard he was a cavalry officer in his home country, but it seems so strange that a government inspector would know a guy like him."
"There was a point when my… boss asked me to go to his country to learn what we could for his people," He answered, "My job was to understand how well they handled their power plants, but he was a big deal back in those days."
"Do you mind telling what happened back then?" Gus asked.
He shook his head. "I don't know since I didn't pay attention then. All I heard is that he confronted his superior in person and it made the newspapers."
"That's quite a story. Normally, I would hear stuff about him from the kids or the occasional talk that comes up in my fine establishment. This is entirely different from the usual rumors."
The saloon door opened and Mr. Caullinski turned around to see Alexei walk in with more dirt on his pants than usual. "Speaking of my friend," He turned around in his stool to wave at him, "Alexei, I have something to tell you."
The sweating farmer glanced at him. "What is it?"
"This redhead came up to me and wanted to talk to you at the docks. She mentioned something about a conversation that she wanted to have with you."
"Which one, the sculptor or the teacher?" Gus asked, curious what this was all about.
Mr. Caullinski looked over his shoulder. "All I remember was that she wore green. I'm not familiar with the people in this town."
The bartender nodded his head, knowing who it was. "It must be Leah."
"She wants to talk to me?" Alexei wondered, wiping the sweat from his brow. Then he reached into his pockets and put a few coins on the counter. "I'll have the special for today and a beer to go."
"Alright, just remember to return the containers."
The dock was relatively quiet as Leah sat at the edge. The only source of light around here was a lit lamp that was placed here in case people wanted to come out and be alone. She thought about Alexei's background and was genuinely surprised he was a war hero in his country, but the biggest part was that he never mentioned it. Yes, he was a cavalry officer, but it seemed like he wanted to put it behind him. After all, how could one be so famous while also not have the urge to tell anyone else?
Wooden boards creaked behind her back as loud footsteps pressed against them. Leah looked over her shoulder to find the farmer walk towards her with his hands in his pockets. She slipped brought her feet away from the waters and crossed her legs as he smiled. "Good evening. You wanted to talk to me?" He took his seat near a post and rested his back against it.
The young woman nodded her head as she prepared to confront him about his past as a soldier. "You never told me that you were a war hero."
Alexei's expression changed when she brought the topic to light. The friendly look shifting into that of a troubled man. "How did you find out?"
"The museum had a book about cavalry and it just so happened to mark you and your unit down," She answered, "Awarded for an act of bravery in the field of battle."
His fingers rubbed his forehead. "There was no need for an act of bravery in the first place."
"What's wrong?" Leah asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
"You are reading the official accounts, which I would not trust since it was a cover-up of a general's… incompetence."
She leaned forward, curious at what he had to hide. "I believe you, but you don't look like you want to talk about it in the first place."
Then his hand began to cover his face. "My company was tasked to die because a general didn't like its ranks filled with commoners. We had a choice between living in disgrace or dying with honor, all because my superior couldn't overlook this issue."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was ever like that. If Penny and I did our research better, this conversation would not have happened." Alexei didn't respond after that. "Are… Are you okay?"
"I was in command of the tsar's finest company and had to choose between the lives of the men I led or the prisoners I saved. That day still haunts me and here I hoped I would forget all of that. It's very personal to me."
Now that she learned about his reasons for being here, it now made sense why he came to live here. "Is that why you came to this town? You wanted to live a new life and escape those memories, didn't you?"
He removed his hand from his face and glanced at her. "Kinda. After the ceremony of getting the highest military award, it was hard to find somewhere to find some peace. My father and I were granted the titles of nobility and everyone wanted to invite me to their mansion to have a good conversation with their national hero."
Leah could understand how one could get tired of such a life. She could thank her ex-boyfriend for it. "Yeah, I know how it feels to be out of place despite being in a good position," Then she thought about the mention of his relative and it seemed like a lighter subject to talk about him than his company, "Your dad, what's he like?"
She saw him smile at the mention of his father. "He's an inquisitive person, but he does not let his job get in the way of family. Life with him was not a normal one and there was a lot of social stigma of being a son of an investigator who worked for the ministry of information."
The girl pressed her knees to her chest and remembered his nationality in that book alongside his preconceived notions about his homeland. "What's your country like?"
"Once upon a time, the Ferngill Republic would have been aghast to find themselves as allies with the previous government of Arstotzka," He answered, "Then the tsar took control and overthrew them with the support of the people."
It was a fascinating detail that she liked to hear. A cavalry officer from land that still had rulers and cavalry of old. "Do you ever consider on going back home if things don't work out here? I mean, I did learn about who you are and it seemed like you were going through the effort to hide."
He shook his head. "To hide? That's not the reason. There is so much splendor one can swallow before you get tired and lose the taste of the good life. Besides, I wanted to escape the crowd of nobles."
The mention of being amongst nobility had caught her attention and now she had another question to ask. "Wait a minute? Are you an aristocrat? Did Pelican town have a genuine aristocrat running around like a farmer?"
"Not too loud. I don't that kind of attention, but yes, I am a noble. The tsar bestowed the title of prince on me during the award ceremony. I really could not shrug it off."
His admission made Leah's cheeks feel warm. "An officer and gentlemen who is also a prince. Penny and Elliot would have a field day if they found out. I won't tell them, I swear."
There was a smile on his face as he rose from the docks. "I appreciate your cooperation with the secrecy."
"So what happens now?" She asked.
"I go to bed and wake up for my next day of farming," He answered, "Though I have to check the calendar to see if anything is going on. I heard something about special days coming up."
The sculptor knew what he meant as she realized that there was going to be a festival in a few days. "The Egg Festival? Are you going to attend?"
"Yes. I just don't know what it entails."
She smiled as she climbed back to her feet. "It's a fun thing the town likes to do. Everyone likes to join in on it, even old George shows up to watch."
Alexei looked at his watch to see the hands moving. "Almost midnight. I got to go."
Leah replied. "Of course, sire."
"That is Prince Alexei, my dear."
The added comment made her blush as she watched him turn around and walk away from her, humming a tune on his way back home.
The cavalry of the 1st Guards was ready to charge, but they all made preparations for what was about to happen. Each soldier carried a small metal cup in their hand, filled with alcohol. It was a tradition in the guard to have the final drink before the charge, but it also helped in defying the danger that modern warfare had. Many horses were gathered to save the colonel from his situation and were willing to sacrifice their lives if they must.
Captain Vonel trotted his horse in front of the company, all eyes waiting in anticipation. He raised his cup. "To those who are about to die, we drink together." Alexei was the first to drink his fill in a single sitting. Then his men followed his action, drinking their alcohol until there was nothing except droplets. Afterward, they all threw their empty cups into the ground.
The captain drew his sword in the air as the rest of the company followed his procedure as he grabbed the reins and looked to the front. His hand reached for the cavalry saber and drew it from its sheathed, high enough for the others to see. Soldiers followed his example before he slowly trotted forward, leading the advance towards the enemy. The men came after him as the ground began to quake at the hooves of their beasts.
Trotting turned in to galloping, where the men would quicken their pace as they revealed themselves in the open. Ahead of them was scattered Gotoran infantry and tank wrecks left in the field. Artillery shells screamed over their heads, only to crash into the remains of the town. There was no turning back from this. Horses began to sprint across the field as Alexei unleashed a war cry that defined the soldiers of Arstotzka. "For Tsar and Fatherland!"
The entire company roared in a single voice as they charged on an open field to close the distance to attack the self-propelled guns. Gotoran soldiers who saw this force had tried to flee to the nearest tank wreck or return to their lines; however, they were overextended from the dug-in positions on the other side of the field. The captain had managed to catch up to one of these men and quickly swiped his blade into his back. Some tried to fire back into their number, but it did little to deter the attack.
When the cavalry overtook the field, the caught Gotorans were either cut down by sword or trampled by a horse. Terror filled their hearts and some even tried to surrender; however, they would never be given that chance. As they began to get closer, the guns seemed to be moving and readjusting their position. Alexei could not make any sense of it until he saw their barrels pointing in their general direction.
Shells bellowed out their rage, splashing in the open ground and indiscriminately killing friend and foe alike. The sight of the troops defending them was apparent as they fired back with rifles and machine guns. Bullets whizzed past Captain Vonel as he looked to his men and found them get struck in the chest or knocked off their horses. Still, he had to continue and worry about their fates after the battle. Yet, it was not the only force of destruction that was brought against them as infantry-held cannons were directed at them. When fired, clouds of shrapnel crashed into the ranks of his men as the desire to exact retribution increased.
Alexei's horse was the first to reach their defenses with his horse jumping over a man as he leaned on his side to swipe at the machine gunner on his left. The clash of infantry and cavalry began as he rushed past the first defensive line and found himself charging at the stragglers. A rifleman with a bayonet attached to his rifle had crouched in front of him, then lunged his weapon into his horse. Moments later, he found himself flying out of his saddle as he somersaulted onto the ground and rolled back to his feet.
A Gotoran tried to take advantage of his situation as he ran towards him with a bayonet in hand; however, the officer whipped his blade and cut across his chest. Then he looked around to see the fierce fighting around him, swords being brought down on rifles while the lives of horses were cut down by machine gunfire.
One of his men rode past him with a pack of dynamite being carried with him as he rushed towards the self-propelled guns. Yet, he did not have the luxury of succeeded when a group of men rushed to his horse and pulled him off. Captain Vonel ran towards him as he dodged riders moving past him and smashing into those who were unfortunate to be in the way. He then drew his pistol from his holster and shot at those closest to him as he passed by. The dynamite was too important to lose in this chaos.
When he reached the fallen body of a fellow Arstotzkan, the pack was still there as he looked for anything to light the fuses. Then he looked up at the guns in front of him, they were slowly trying to back away from the rushing cavalry trying to get atop of their open-hulls. Yet, the crews were successful in fighting off the boarders. A lighter was salvaged from the dead man as he charged the guns while trying to get the fuse lit.
Alexei managed to get close to one of the self-propelled guns backing away near a steep hill. After the fire burned away, the captain had a limited time to get the dynamite off his hands. The young man climbed atop the vehicle to see the crews from above and as he threw it inside, a hand grabbed him by the collar before a fist met his face.
He was disoriented from the impact as he saw a Gotoran in a dark red uniform pushing him off the hill. His body smashed against trees and rocks as he slid downhill and away from the vehicle. Then he found himself sinking in a river as an explosion could be felt through the vibrations of the water, but not enough force to kill him.
Author's Note: Now that I finished this chapter, I can finally change the title. Sadly, my attempts at throwing people off the trail were quite shit if I say so myself. Now the other side of the crossover is Papers, Please, but it took inspiration from a Hearts of Iron IV mod call Hearts of Arstotzka, where the player can pick any of the countries from the Papers, Please universe and wage total war. In Arstotzka's case, you can actually turn it into a monarchy and wage war against your neighbors using infantry divisions and 8-width cavalry divisions.
