Chapter 3
Lt. Colonel Daniil did not enjoy being in the presence of General Secretary of the Communist Party, Joseph Stalin. It was an utterly terrifying as well as nerve wracking experience. Even if Stalin had personally ordered his promotion, Daniil knew only a fool among fools would not fear the Great Stalin. One wrong move, one wrong word, and off to the gulag. If he was lucky.
"Comrade General Igor Putin," Stalin addressed the man who sat next to Daniil. "You will lead Soviet forces through this magic Gate. You will ensure those who have unjustly attacked us pay. You will also ensure our dominance over this new territory available to us."
"You have my word, General Secretary, I will fulfill all your orders with precision and excellence." General Igor Putin replied. "I would like to thank you for the appointment of my new aid. My previous aid was killed in the attack while visiting his family here in Moscow."
"He is a very clever fellow. I am sure he will serve you well." Stalin said. "He figured out that these invaders came through this magic Gate. He has also proposed the idea of keeping those of the invasion force in authority alive to learn as much as we can. Also, perhaps, finding some to install as puppet leaders when we take possession of their country."
"People prefer to be ruled by someone of their own ilk. Foreign rulers are often despised and face more rebellions." Lt. Colonel Daniil explained. "Take the regime we are setting up in part of Korea and those in Eastern Europe. Their leaders may appear to be in charge, but they answer to the Soviet Union. To our great General Secretary, Joseph Stalin."
General Putin smiled. "You are a clever fellow! I look forward to working with you. Going to this other world will undoubtedly pose challenges of a strange nature. The more clever people I have working under me, the better."
"How are the preparations for our reverse invasion?" Stalin inquired. "I hear we will be ready in about a month's time, is that correct?"
"Oh no, General Secretary! Only twenty more days, at most. You have my word." General Putin answered. "While I have your ear, I was wondering about how the world outside the Soviet Union is reacting to our odd situation. Particularly, the Americans."
After taking a moment to fiddle with his pipe, Stalin answered. "They thus far have found it unbelievable. However, they are starting to see otherwise. We have been allowing foreign diplomats and journalists to see the corpses of the dragons and other creatures not native to this world. As photos and first person accounts make their way to other nations, the truth will grow increasingly undeniable. As if we would ever lie about such a bizarre thing."
"How are their responses, though, General Secretary? Do they want access to this new frontier? How far are they willing to go if the Soviet Union bars them from it?" General Putin asked softly. "I am most … wary of the Americans. Those new bombs they used to make the Japanese surrender are so massively destructive."
"Are you afraid of the Americans, Comrade Putin?" Stalin said in an emotionless voice.
Daniil gulped. I hope the General did not just condemn himself to the gulag.
"No, Comrade Stalin. If necessary, I would fight them to my final breath. I merely stated they possess great destructive power. Diplomacy with them is an important matter. Even without the bombs, they are the only power left that can rival the Soviet Union." General Putin replied.
"Cease your worries. They are not going to declare war just to get access to this magic Gate. Capitalists though they may be, they can see such a war would not be profitable to them in the slightest." General Secretary Stalin said. "The Gate, as well as the lands beyond it, belong to the Soviet Union."
"I see, General Secretary. I apologize for pointless worries." As the general said this, Daniil noticed he was sweating quite a bit.
So, he also realized he might have angered Stalin. Daniil thought. What happens next?
Stalin dismissed them a moment later. The two quickly fled the room. It was not until they had left the Kremlin, that they both let out sighs of relief.
In Molt, the capital of the Saderan Empire, the Senate was in an uproar. After their forces were driven back from the other world, many feared the forces from that world would invade through the Gate. Now, it seems that fear was well founded. Forces were moving through the Gate, arriving on the Empire's soil. Over a hundred thousand Imperial troops had been stationed at the Gate, ready to defend against the invaders. However, given how quickly and brutally the Saderan forces were driven back from the Gate, none of the Senate members were optimistic.
There was also the issue of deserters among the returning soldiers. No one who had fought beyond the Gate seemed at all willing to take up arms ever again. Most were broken shells of their former selves, spending their sleepless nights in terror. Those who were not crippled by fear tended to take up banditry. Perhaps, they preferred to fight those who could not fight back over those with crushing force.
Emperor Molt Zanac Rayle Saderan III looked down on the Senate from his throne.
I can not remember a time when the Senate was in such an uproar, he thought.
"Your Majesty," Marquis Zacharias said after calling for silence among the Senate. "The Gate situation is an utter catastrophe. The forces we sent through the Gate were not only beaten back, but now the enemy is advancing on the Empire. We are losing more and more of our military might by the day. How do you intend to lead the nation in the face of this crisis?"
"Be at ease, Marquis." The Emperor replied. "It is true that our military has suffered great losses, but we will not surrender. For the time being, we will start burning the crops between us and the Gate. We'll herd the livestock this way and poison the wells. That will slow the enemy army's advance. Meanwhile, we will issue a call to arms, recruiting and rebuilding our strength as fast as possible. We are the Saderan Empire! We are not defeated and we won't be!"
Many in the Senate gave applause at the Emperor's plan. However, Marquis Zacharias wore a grimm expression. He knew the extent of their losses in this war. The amount of dead and crippled was utterly staggering.
Another spoke-up, the court sorcerer this time. "Your Majesty, we can rebuild our numbers in time, but what about the powerful magic these otherworld warriors wield? I have never seen such sorcery! And the strange beast of iron they control! How do we counter such things?!"
"Hmm," The Emperor murmured. "Perhaps, we should seek the aid of others. Such as the Dark Elves. Or, the Cult of Hardy. Or, even more groups. This force is a threat to our entire world. It is time to put aside old grudges. Perhaps we can use the presence of these invaders as a means of creating a grand alliance?"
"Sire, I do not believe that will be an easy task." Marquis Zacharias asked. "Even with the destructive power of this other world army, old grudges will not be easily forgotten."
"True, but it may be more easily done if the other nations witness their strength." Emperor Molt said. "Invite observers from far and wide. Let them see what this army is capable of."
"Very well," Marquis Zacharias bowed. "However, we will not be the only ones in need of the support of the alliance you propose."
At first, Emperor Molt was confused, but that only lasted a second. "Ah, yes. The other Gate in the Orte Empire. I had not heard anything since they sent a division of their army through that Gate. I take it they have not fared any better than us?"
The Marquis shook his head. "They were driven back as well. And just before coming here, I received word of an army crossing the Orte Gate into our world."
A silence overtook the Senate. The situation had become dire indeed.
Emperor Molt clapped his hands together. "As I said before, we are not beaten yet. Let us plan for a counterattack. Let us reach out to all who will hear us. The otherworld armies must be driven back. This world belongs to us, not them!"
The Senate regained some of its hope, but only some.
Sofia Gorbunova was glad to be able to keep flying for the Soviet Air Force. Even in such strange circumstances. After the unprovoked attack on Victory Day, the Soviet Union needed anyone and everyone who knew how to fight. Women flyers who had been told to return to civilian life were now given the chance to fly once more. Back during the Victory Day Parade, the female pilots were only flying because of remarkable service in the war.
It only took a matter of days for the Soviet forces to seize the magic Gate the medieval invaders had come through. Once they had secured it, plans to take the fight to the otherside were quickly drawn up. The latest tanks went through the Gate as soon as plans were finalized. The enemy had a large force waiting for them, but they were armed with nothing more sophisticated than swords and arrows. Bullets and artillery easily dealt with them.
With great efficiency, the soldiers of the Soviet Union set up a makeshift runway for her and the rest of the revived 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. U-2s were dropping bombs on the enemy day and night, just as they had against the Nazis.
A day ago, it seems they finally realized they stood no chance against the Red Army. They were pulling out as fast as their horses would carry them. However, there were those who were too injured to do so. As long as they were not too heavily injured, they were taken as prisoners. The NKVD, the Russian intelligence agency, were interested in whatever information they could provide about this new frontier.
Now, Sofia was watching a small group of such prisoners being led back to the motherland through the Gate.
I wonder if any of them will ever see this world again? Sofia thought. Probably not. I recall hearing that the Germans taken prisoner in the war are either dead or still working in one gulag or another. Even a year after the German surrender. Serves them right.
The Germans and these medieval knights had attacked the Soviet Union without any provocation. They deserved whatever miserable fate awaited them, as far as she was concerned. Then, a thought crossed Sofia's mind.
Whatever nation these knights belonged to must surely have a proper name. She wondered what it was. For that matter, she wondered if anyone was trying to find out. The NKVD perhaps?
That night, Sofia shared her thoughts with her fellow pilots.
"What does it matter? They are the enemy. All we need to know is how best to kill with those Nazi pigs." Irina replied.
Irina's family was from Minsk. From what she had been able to find out, they were all killed in the German invasion. She had been one of those most frustrated by the disbandment of the regiment after the war. The military had become her life and her family. Those who knew her were glad to have her flying with them. Some were a little concerned about her ruthlessness, though. There were a few horror stories told about her behind her back.
After a moment of thought, Sofia said, "If we know more about them, the better we will be able to fight them."
"Maybe you are right. I heard a rumor that pamphlets with translated words and some other information on them are going to be distributed soon." Irina replied.
"I hadn't heard that!" Sofia exclaimed. "How do you think we were able to get them made so fast? We lack a, ah, what is the term? Rosetta stone, I think."
Irina shrugged. "We did take a number of prisoners during Victory Day. We are taking even more now that we are on the enemy's soil. The people above us must have decided to learn everything they could from them. There must be methods for deciphering an unknown language. It is just a matter of time and patience."
Patience is not a word I would attribute to the higher-ups. Especially the NKVD. Sofia thought, but was not anywhere near foolish to say out loud.
Two days later, the pamphlets Irina spoke of arrived. Sofia poured over it. One saying she read seemed very valuable.
The words for, "Surrender or die."
Mike Sullivan was a reporter with the New York Times who had arrived in Moscow a day ago. He was in Russia to verify the stories that had come from the Kremlin about an invasion from another world by knights on horseback. As well as dragonback, apparently. Sounded absolutely nuts, but while Stalin should be in an insane asylum, he was not that sort of crazy.
Mike had been a correspondent all throughout the Second World War. He had traveled to Britain during the Blitz. He managed to meet Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Man, could he turn a phrase. Then, Mine went on to North Africa, then Italy, then France, all the way to the heart of Germany. Throughout the war, he had seen everything there was to see on the European front. From how easily Italians surrendered to the ferocious of Nazi fanatics. From the deserts of Egypt to winter in the forests of Belgium. From D-Day to the Nazi's death camps. Those camps were abominations against everything humane Mike would never forget.
He had no qualms about being in war zones, however. In fact, he seemed almost drawn to them, in a strange way. His bosses had sent him to Moscow to report on this bizarre incident with a potential additional assignment. This morning, Mike would find out if he would be going through with it. Hoping for an opportunity to see things never seen before, Mike silenced his alarm clock and went to get dressed.
Cars waited outside the Moscow hotel that housed reporters and government officials from across the world. Mike ended up sharing a car with a British reporter named James Richard. He was a young pup, no more than twenty-two years old. Apparently, his father was in charge of the paper he worked for. From the bitter tone in which he told Mike that, James refused to live in his father's shadow. The young man stated firmly he was here because he worked twice as hard as anyone else.
The two chatted for a short while before arriving at the Moscow Zoo. However, it was no longer a normal zoo. Most of the animals had been moved to other locations, in order to make room for creatures captured during what was becoming known as the Moscow Incident, as well as the other side of the Gate.
Before long, Mike knew without a doubt the Russians had not been lying. First, he got to see pale-green things that were three-and-a-half feet tall. Their ears were pointed, their teeth jagged and their eyes completely yellow. They were creepy to look at.
After that, the Russians showed him and the other visitors a man with the ears of a wolf and a bushy silver tail. The man did not speak or meet anyone's eyes. Mike wondered what this person had endured at the hands of his Soviet captors.
Last but definitely not least, a dragon. The mighty beast had clearly seen better days, judging by the holes in its wings, the bullet wounds in its flesh, and obviously labored breathing. Mike still wished he could have gotten closer to the stunning animal. The Russians seemed to be trying to care for the dragon, as Mike saw a man carrying a bucket of water to it and another man a pale of raw meat. However, Mike had a gut feeling that the dragon would not last long.
"Wow!" Mike said under his breath. "Strange as they may have been, those stories were not lies. A Gate to another world, huh?"
The next day, the reporters went to the Kremlin for an official statement from the Soviet government. One to be given by the Foreign Commissar Vyacheslav Molotov. The Hammer, whose face never revealed what he thought or felt.
"Good morning, gentlemen." He said after his audience quieted a bit. After introducing himself for formality's sake, Molotov said, "Now that you have seen with your own eyes the oddities brought forth from the Gate, you know that the Soviet Union was not attempting any deception. You also know that we suffered yet another unprovoked invasion. Though, to a far lesser degree than what the Hitlerites inflicted on us."
"For the past three weeks, our forces have been bringing the fight to the other side of the Gate. It is without a doubt a whole new world. The enemies who have attacked the Soviet Union are being beaten as I speak. I will now take questions."
Hands went up immediately. The youngster Mike had shared a ride with the other day got called on first.
"Do you intend to conquer the lands of this other world?" James asked.
Molotov shook his head. "We intend to seek justice against those who have wronged us. We will dismantle their Empire and build a nation in line with Soviet interests."
"Empire, you say." James said. "Have you established a dialogue with the people beyond the Gate?"
"We have made progress in deciphering their language through interrogation of prisoners." Molotov replied. "By this process, we have learned the enemy is part of a nation referred to as the 'Saderan Empire.' We have also learned their motive for their invasion was vile imperialism."
Yeah, and your aims in invading them are purely the advancement of Socialism. Mike thought, as he took a few notes.
Then, he was the next person Molotov recognized.
"Sir, you said Soviet forces have gone through the Gate?" Mike inquired.
"Yes, that is what I said." Molotov answered.
"Sir, has there been any consideration at this time to allow the press to see the new world beyond the Gate with our own eyes?"
Molotov did not reply for a moment. "That is currently being considered. However, as I said, the enemy remains unsubdued. Until we have the situation more tightly secured, that will not be possible. Perhaps, at a later time, though, correspondents will be permitted to go beyond the Gate with Soviet escorts."
Mike noted what the Foreign Commissar said. In his heart, he hoped that he would be among the first reporters to go beyond the Gate.
