AN: My muse isn't cooperating as far as my ongoing stories go, so I decided to try something different and while looking over my story ideas folder, I remembered this one. I'll appreciate feedback and confirmation if anyone wants this idea expanded upon and turned into a full fledged story. At this time the rough idea I have is like the anime to have the first chapter or two show Veil's alter ego come into his own at a time when butterflies he has created already flap their wings. After that, we'll be going sometime back for worldbuilding, character growth and creating the foundations for changing the course of the war and taking Tanya under the wing, because the little murder-munchkin needs her energies properly directed and aimed...
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics, or games. I don't own Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. I make no money from this story. It's not for sale or rent.
The Devil's Disciple
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Chapter 1: Headhunters
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Part 1
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Lighting thundered through sheets of heavy rain that did its damned best to drown the Rhine. Blasted wastelands, untouched fields, and trenches alike became pools and lakes where a grown man could easily drown in mud that had more in common with quicksand than anything else. For four days black skies unleashed their fury above the battlefield and did more to stop the Republic's advance than the stretched thin Imperial Army did in two weeks.
Whole divisions struggled with the cold and wet, trying not to drown in their trenches instead of fighting the enemy across the thin strip of no-man's land. Fighters, bombers, and even Air Mages alike were grounded by the fury of the unrelenting storm. Only someone insane would have dared to attack under those conditions and even then, radar operators hidden in bunkers behind the front stood silent vigil against any trace of enemy movement. Planes or air-mages, they would detect them and raise the alarm. As far as ground assault went – the hell-scape between the armies was impassible. The Republic did try to push on the first day of the storm, to disastrous results.
"It's not all bad." General Philip Anry said to his staff – all of them were wet and cold despite the best efforts of a hot stove, hotter coffee, and what little dry cigars they had left. "Our logistics will catch up to us and we'll be properly supplied to break the Hun once the ground dries up."
"If it dries up." A morose voice muttered. "It works both ways – the enemy can bring in reinforcements to stabilize the front."
"From where? Norden, Dacia? They're stretched thin and exhausted. It's only a matter of time..." The General trailed off. The sound of the downpour and lighting was just gone. "Well, it's about time to..." He paused again and looked at his staff. The ten people stuck with him in the field bunker were all unnaturally still.
"It's time to die, Monseneur General." Anry's head snapped towards the entrance when he heard someone did his best to butcher his language with their thick and hard Imperial accent.
He saw a flash of naked steel and felt something wickedly sharp and cold kiss his throat. Anry opened his mouth to scream a warning but the only thing that came out was a whisper followed by warm blood. He blinked in confusion only to see a man in the dark green field uniform of the Empire. The stranger had his gloved right hand outstretched and pointing at the General. Anry couldn't help it but wonder how out of place the enemy looked – there was no trace of mud or rain on his uniform. It was as if he had just come out from a parade one a sunny, dry day.
The Imperial's fingers clenched into a fist and something wrenched out of Philip's throat. The General blinked in confusion when he saw a bloody knife fly away sending crimson drops everywhere but at the enemy officer then their eyes met and the last thing Anry ever saw were two malevolent yellow orbs.
The knife ended up slamming into the left eye of the Intelligence officer, pierced his brain, and then as if possessing a mind of its own wrenched itself free in a shower of blood. It flew in an arch that nearly decapitated the General's XO before ending embedded to the hilt in the logistic's officer's throat. The remaining Republic officers could only helplessly watch the slaughter – all they could do was move their terrified eyes while the rest of their muscles refused to move.
The knife didn't care and simply continued its bloody work until only the Imperial officer was left alive in the bunker. Once its last victim expired, it tore itself free again and used the man's uniform to clean itself before eagerly flying in the waiting arm of its owner. Only then did the Imperial calmly walk to the table in the center of the bunker, looked over the maps unfolded on it and gathered them with a wave of his hand.
"One down, three more to go." Shadows rose to engulf him and a moment later the only occupants of the bunker were eleven corpses still frozen standing where they were butchered.
When dawn came and the storm abated, the Republican army awoke to find the HQ sections of four of their divisions butchered to a man. There was no trace of an intruder, besides impossible knife-work and corpses. The nearly drowned soldiers facing the enemy had noticed nothing during the night and the same was true for the magical detection stations meant to prevent precisely this kind of infiltration and butchery.
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Early before dawn, the various Imperial Heavy Artillery corps all across the front received firing coordinates with suspected enemy artillery positions. During the next hour, screaming shells tore their way through pouring rain, lightning, and thunder to strike ammo dumps, artillery pieces, and their hunkering crews. When dawn came and the bombardment ceased, twenty percent of the Republican artillery park facing the Imperial Army in the Rhine were simply gone thus making future offensives that much harder.
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Part 2
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The weather was positively horrendous, and as far as Tanya Degurechaff was concerned, this was the best thing that could happen given the circumstances. The storm was bad enough that everything which could fly was grounded for good and this happy state of affair lasted for a third day in a row. Save for the odd artillery exchange to remind the enemy that the good times couldn't possibly last for much longer, it was all quiet, and more importantly, safe.
Miracle of miracles, the 205st Aerial Mage Company found itself pulled some distance from the front, camping among a small cluster of hills, which offered comfortable high ground – an important luxury considering downpour's 'charming' side-effects. The brief cease of hostilities imposed by the weather gave the Imperial Army in the Rhine invaluable time to regroup, recover and strengthen their defense lines to face against the next onslaught. More importantly, it gave Tanya time to think and plot, so she could find a way to get out of this hell while she was still intact. The goal remained the same – avoid Command's sabotage and attempts to get her killed by gaining a nice, cozy and most importantly, safe position far behind the front. Something at the Imperial Army Strategic HQ in Berun or a post as a trainer for Aerial Mages perhaps. Anything really, as long as it didn't get her shot at basically everyday.
Tanya stiffened when artillery silenced the storm's own thunder, then relaxed a fraction when she noted it was friendly. She stood with a frown marring her face and went to the tent's entrance and looked in the early morning twilight. She could barely see the flashes from close-by batteries and if she was any judge of these things, this wasn't the usual light exchange of the past few days. More and more thunder echoed from both sides of the Company's camp, and there was no hint it would be casing anytime soon. Were the Francois crazy enough to attempt an assault, at night no less, in this weather?! Or even worse, did someone in Command have a "brilliant" idea that might get them all killed?
The only answer Tanya got before sunrise came from the artillery, which didn't cease their bombardment for what felt like hours. No orders came from command, no enemy attack materialized anywhere near Tanya's sector of the front, so she decided it was a good morning after all and went back to bed, to continue plotting.
=TDD=
Imperial Strategic HQ
Berun
Brigadier General Kurt von Rudersdorf took a deep pull of his cigar, enjoying the taste of hot smoke filling his lungs. Only then he returned his full attention to the map opened on his desk and his two colleagues.
"The situation isn't as bad as it could be." Lieutenant-Colonel Erich von Rerugen reported after tweaking a few of the figures on the map. "As expected, shifting our offensive units from the North is slower than originally anticipated. With the precaution we've taken, we expect to have them in place within week, eight to nine days if the storm over the Rhine intervenes with deployment. Train and ship schedules are in place, and all available shipping has been redirected for the task at hand."
That was a charming understatement, really, especially compared to what it could have been. Rudersdorf inhaled some more soothing smoke, before taking his cigar and squashing it within a half-full ashtray. The original plan had been widely optimistic in hindsight, and even attaching certain contingencies just in case was like pulling teeth and took a lot political capital. It was all worth it in the end, even if success in this case came with both boons, like Kurt's new rank, along with many more responsibilities. Success earned Rudersdorf and all those who backed the contingencies certain enemies among those demoted, removed and their political allies – none of those were happy when their plan proved to be less successful than projected.
"Considering the weather, any major offensive operations on our part would be delayed by at least a week, perhaps more anyway." Hans von Zettour pointed out. "On the bright side, this storm ensures that our western industrial zones will remain safe no matter what." He grimaced.
Rudersdorf could guess what Zettour thought about. The General Staff failed in this regard, they couldn't convince the Kaizer and his government that the Republic was doing anything but demobilizing. As a consequence, they should have been staring a disaster in the making, on that might have threatened the future of the Empire.
"Plan 315 is still feasible, yet it might create an opportunity." Zettour rubbed his chin, while observing the map. "His proof of concept worked yesterday. We have unconfirmed reports of massive losses among the Republic artillery all across the front. What is confirmed that he did what he promised he could – four Francois Divisions lost their command staffs in a single night. It's the proof of concept we demanded. What are we going to do now?"
Rudersdorf looked sullenly at the map. "He was out headhunting tonight as well, wasn't he?"
"We received reports from his shadows that he vanished at sunset and came back shortly before sunrise bringing more 'gifts'." Rerugen confirmed. "The originals are on the way here, while local the local HQ has copies to study. His plan is in some regards even more audacious than 315…" The Lieutenant-Colonel grimaced, "or the contingencies he convinced us to support."
"He managed to convince the Kaizer that some prudence was called for, otherwise we would be trying to salvage yet another disaster." Rudersdorf admitted. "And we're watching the man like hawks for any possible excuse to remove him because of it."
"To be fair, we have no idea what he is. He is no Mage, yet he can give our best Military Magicians run for their money." Rerugen added. "Frankly, there are days I'm almost sure we've made deal with the Devil himself."
"Yet by all accounts he's on our side. Hell, he's a patriot, no one doubts that." Zettour countered.
"You're biased, Hans." Kurt pointed out.
"Granted, his father was an old family friend…" Zettour shrugged. "However, he has never given even a single hint he has anything but the Empire's best interests in mind! Hell, he wanted to join the military and serve the Fatherland for as long as I've known him!"
"And that was one of the reasons why we backed his radical ideas." Kurt nodded. "Not to mention that those ideas tend to work."
"Yet, we're all too eager to offer him any opportunity to get himself killed so he would be safely out of the way." Zettour grimaced. "That's not the way the treat family, neither a decorated veteran!"
"We know for a fact that he influenced the Kaiser, perhaps at least a few members of the government, he might have influenced us as well in order to support his ideas and risk career suicide."
"The same ideas that prevented or at least mitigated 315 turning into a complete disaster." Rerugen reminded them.
"True enough." Rudersdorf agreed. "Nevertheless, we're about to turn Rhine into hell on Earth, both for our soldiers and the enemy."
"That's fitting. After all, we already have the Devil himself playing out there." Zettour muttered.
"Lieutenant-Colonel Rerugen, Operation Headhunter is a go. Colonel Veiel is hereby brevetted to Brigadier-General and will take operational command over all Aerial Mage units in the Rhine's central region. When Second Panzer Division arrives, it will also become part of Kampfgrupe Headhunter." Rudersdorf ordered.