Though it wouldn't be until many years later that the secret agreement between Emperor Charles and Chancellor Krueger became public knowledge, both the Holy Britannian Empire, and the Gross Europa Reich immediately gained benefits from their leaders' temporary understanding.

The African territories that had remained under Britannian occupation since the end of the Great War witnessed a sharp decrease in insurgent activity. Though whether this was because of the presence of reinforcements that had previously been earmarked for the Arabian Front, or maybe because some of the more established groups had gotten the order to go further underground is still debated amongst historians.

The Reich was able to make great progress in encouraging further acts of rebellion in the conquered Siberian provinces to the point where it looked like the insurgency could seize control of the country long enough for the Reich to move in before the Britannian Homeland could send in reinforcements.

The trade agreement served to help speed up both nation's weapons development projects as the resources gained were directed to the more clandestine operations that neither nation wished to make known to the other.

And perhaps the most obvious example of all was the strategic territorial acquisitions that each nation gained following the uneasy peace between the Empire and the shrunken Federation.

In addition to the oil rich territories that existed in the southern half of the Arabian peninsula, the Britannian Empire, in an offensive that took place mere days before the end of hostilities, Imperial forces managed to capture a strip of land extending from the northern entrance of the Arabian Gulf to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. This territory, while placed in a difficult position due to the fact that it was surrounded on all sides by nations that possessed less than friendly diplomatic relations with the Empire, nevertheless gave the Emperor a chance to extend his influence in previously untouched areas.

As for the Reich, the end of the war managed to allow them to expand their interests as well. Albeit in a manner that caused many learned observers to note that the method in which they did so was even more dishonorable than that of the Empire.

(Comparing the Dragon and the Lion: An in-depth annysisy of the inner workings of the Holy Britannian Empire and the Gross Europa Reich)

Doing my best to contain my annoyance at dealing with a man who was reluctant to accept the circumstances he now found himself in, I managed to keep my demeanor pleasant as I proceeded to once again remind the turban wearing head of state of the superior position my nation possessed when compared to his.

"As I have previously stated President Inoue, while my government is fully prepared to guarantee the continued sovereignty of your nation, we are unable to do more than help you secure your current borders, and help modernize your military to better defend yourself should hostilities resume. Under no circumstances will we permit you to use European arms and soldiers to help you reclaim your lost territory at this point in time".

As expected, my comment merely served to increase the agitation of the Federation's President.

"Chancellor Krueger, while I am thankful for the amount of support that you provided the Federation in its time of need, I'm afraid that such methods are now insufficient. You and I both know that the Empire only agreed to this temporary halt in hostilities so that it could better prepare itself for the final push. And in order to successfully defend ourselves, which can only be achieved if we launch an immediate attack while the Empire's forces are diverted elsewhere, we need the Reich's superior resources if we are to achieve success".

Rolling my eyes at Inoue's one tracked mind, and seeing that I now had to adopts methods that could very well backfire if I wasn't careful, I dropped my previously sympathetic tone in exchange for one that was far more blunt.

"Considering the current state of your forces, it would take at least 3 months to properly prepare them for an offensive of that scope. And since the Federation hasn't even begun to pay for all the equipment the Reich has given you to create the circumstances for the armistice, you cannot expect me to keep doing what I can to protect your nation without some concessions on your part".

Ah there it is.

The look that all politicians had regardless of ideology, or moral integrity.

The look that clearly states that they would have to make some sort of sacrifice they would rather not make in order to achieve their goal.

"And what sort of concessions would you demand? Even though the tools you have given us have done much to spare my country from further devastation, our economy is barely adequate enough to support our reconstruction, let alone pay off, or incur more debts".

Leaning back in my chair, I adopted a look of consideration as I listed the options that I would find to be the most acceptable for both me and the Reich.

"Well, one option would be to declare the Middle Eastern Federation as a client state of the Reich. You would retain control over the economic, political, and cultural aspects of your nation, but would forfeit any and all responsibility for national defence to the forces of the Reich. Which of course would be answerable only to Berlin".

Seeing the aged Turk's look of distaste, I continued to list the other options that I would find acceptable.

"Another option would be that I wave off the debt in return for having the Federation's remaining oil fields being transferred to the complete control of the Reich. Which I point out will include a substantial military force in order to free your forces for other more vital duties".

If anything, Inoue seemed to be more upset with this option than the previous one. Something which I attributed to the fact that much of his wealth stemmed from having the nation's oil firmly under state control. It truly is amazing how some people become more enraged over a loss of wealth rather than independence.

Which makes me think that perhaps the 3rd option will be the one he chooses to accept in the end.

"The final option that I can see, which will not only absolve you of the economic responsibly, but also aid you in maintaining, and someday restoring the integrity of your lands would be to allow the Reich to annex the Middle Eastern Federation. Of course the region would be granted a greater deal of autonomy than the rest of the Reich, and you would be the one I select to govern this region, but in the end you would still be answerable to me".

Allowing him a brief moment to allow the full implication of what I was suggesting to sink in, though in truth it was just a more honest, and less complicated method of solving the issue that we both wanted to go away, I had to fight to keep a smirk off my face as the Middle Eastern leader finally managed to recover his voice.

"I suppose…that in light of our current economic and military weakness…. the only viable course of action would be to entrust the security of my people to the only man who has managed to successfully withstand the tide of Britannian expansion. I trust however that if I do this, the aid you've promised, both military and economic, will be immediately transferred to what was once the Federation"?

Having managed to achieve what I wanted, albeit far quicker than I originally anticipated, I managed to keep my tone devoid of satisfaction as I answered the soon to be former President's question.

"But of course. As soon as we end our discussion, I can guarantee that not only will your debt of 1 billion reichmarks be cleared, but I will have 9 Wehrmacht divisions, 3 of them armored, an entire air fleet and 2 Waffen ISD armored brigades ready to enter the Middle East as soon as you announce this decision. Followed of course by tens of thousands of civilian engineers who will aid their military counterparts in repairing the damage done to your country during the war. And you need not worry about your current soldiers, for even though their uniforms may change, they will still be honorably serving to defend their homes".

Allowing a small smile to grace my features as I watched Inoue sigh in acceptance to these terms, I fought the urge to hum in approval as ended the conversation in a most agreeable manner.

"Then I my conscience is clear. In 24 hours, I will publicly announce my desire to have the Middle Eastern Federation join with the Gross Europa Reich. Heil Krueger".

Hmm. I wonder if I could start getting people to say that as a term of greeting and dismal. It's a tad egotistical, but considering all I've done, I think I've earned it.

…..

Though he knew that the Chancellor's had yet to come to a decision on which branch of the armed forces would operate this latest example of military technology, the slightly overweight leader of the Reich's air forces nevertheless continued to fantasize about what he would be able to accomplish if they were ever placed under his command.

Yes their appearance was more akin to the tools that his rival continued to use despite, albeit in reduced numbers. And one could argue that these machines were in fact merely a modern version of the weapon that every nation wished to possess once mankind learned how to combine the art of metal working with the ancient skill of seafaring.

But the fact remained that despite Chancellor Krueger's more or less successful attempts to inspire greater levels of cooperation between the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe, Air Marshal Goering still privately believed that everything that flew should fall under his jurisdiction.

And considering the fact that the Chancellor appeared to be in a very good mood as he exited his personal transport, the former fighter pilot believed he had a very good chance of persuading the Reich's leader that the new aerial battleships should be placed under his command.

At least that had been his intention before the Reich's Minister of Armaments decided to act before he good.

"Greetings Chancellor. You'll be pleased to know that everything is on schedule for today's demonstration, and that the previous designs flaws have been taken care of".

Nodding his head in satisfaction at Speer's exemplary management skills, and acknowledging the presence of the accompanying heads of the Reich's naval and air forces with a brief, but respected nod, the younger German allowed his features to betray his own eagerness for what he was about to witness.

"Excellent work Speer. I must admit, I was a tad skeptical after seeing what the final appearance of the Siegfried class would look like. But considering the amount of destruction its naval counterparts achieved during the Great War, I'm certain that the people of the Reich will come to love the latest instrument of their continued security. I trust however that today's demonstration will include more than the spectacle of a 175 meter long Uboat hovering in mid air".

Failing to contain his urge to snicker at the slightly pained look that came over the balding minister's face, for the Rodina did indeed look like a much larger version of the weapon that helped the Kriegsmarine's predecessor contest control of the Northern and Mid Atlantic, the head of the Luftwaffe had to concede that its visible display of heavy armaments was more than enough to forgive any similarities with the traditional Uboat.

Something which Speer happy to point out to his amused looking boss.

"You needn't worry about that Chancellor. In preparation for today's demonstration, I ensured that both the Rodina's weapon systems, and its defensive ones, were full ready to be shown to you".

Receiving another nod of approval from the smiling leader of the Reich, and seeing that he now had the full attention of the small, but highly important crowd, Speer began the demonstration by going over the basic features of the cigar shaped vessel.

"Well as you all know, while weighing the same amount as a Robespierre class heavy cruiser, the Rodina's flight system, along with other ships of the Siegfried class, is able to reach a maximum height of 14,000 meters, and reach a top speed of 40 knots under favorable conditions. In addition to this, the vessel is equipped with 8 280 mm guns, 8 150 mm guns, 22 37 mm anti-aircraft cannons, and 4 missile launchers that are capable of delivering 6 warheads a piece".

Impressed at the destructive potential of the world's first aerial battleship, and already imaging what he would be able to accomplish for his nation if the Chancellor placed them under his jurisdiction, Goering found his brief moment of day dreaming interrupted by his rival.

"That's all well and good director. But no matter the destructive power of a vessel, its ability to function as a viable weapon of war depends on its ability to withstand punishment long enough to respond in kind. And considering the fact that the Rodina resembles a vessel whose hull could be pierced by the latest Panzerfaust model, I'm hoping that its defensive capabilities is as impressive as its weaponry".

Though it galled him to do so, the slightly obese German found himself agreeing with the head of the Kriegsmarine's concern.

It was the same concept that had the Reich's aircraft designers had to incorporate when coming up with new generations of dive and strategic bombers. Capable enough to deliver a power blow against the enemy, but sturdy enough to survive the initial period of engagement.

Luckily however, Speer was keen to reveal that he too had followed this rather sound advice.

"You have no need to worry on that score Grand Admiral. But since I know you require more than my simple words of assurance, why don't we move ourselves to a more secure location so we can witness just how durable these ships can be"?

Leading the small cabal of military leaders to a specially designed bunker, and waiting to ensure that each individual got an unobstructed view of the aerial warship, the Reich's Minister of Armaments began the test that would once again validate the Chancellor's faith in him.

"Now, even though the Rodina's hull is capable of withstanding the same sort of punishment that a modern naval cruiser can take, its energy shielding, which has been designed to cover the entire surface of the vessel, can ensure that even the largest artillery shell cannot make contact. For this demonstration, we will be testing the strength of the shield against the full power of a 420 mm siege howitzer".

Sending the necessary orders to the gun crew, who unlike the current inhabitants of the bunker only had a pair of earmuffs to protect their ears from the thunderous boom of the massive piece, Speer had to keep himself from laughing at the expressions of his audience as they watched the Rodina's defence systems spring into action.

"As you can see, not only is the vessel's shield system able to keep the projectile from making contact with the hull, but due to fact that it is pushing itself against an unmovable energy source, the shell winds up disintegrating without damaging the solid material of its target".

Allowing a moment for the green colored energy to dissipate, the balding German continued his explanation before moving on the next stage of the demonstration.

"Since it would inefficient to have the entire hull surrounded by the energy shield during the entire time that the ship is in combat, although it does possess the option to do this for a maximum of 25 minutes if the ship devotes much of its power to it, the Rodina relies on a prototype radar system, which accurately calculates the area where the projective will hit, thus allowing it to be more efficient with its energy usage. Of course the option does exist for this to be done manually, but that's more as a safety feature".

Nodding his head in approval at the defensive power of the aerial battleship, Krueger nevertheless managed to restrain his eagerness as he asked a question that was shared by everyone present.

"Most impressive Minister. However, while I am sure that we all approve of the ship's defensive capabilities, I believe a demonstration of the Rodina's destructive potential is also required".

Fighting the urge to chuckle at the partially concealed eagerness of the Chancellor, something that was shared by almost everyone else in the well-designed bunker, Speer nodded his head compliance as he gave the necessary orders to the Rodina's crew.

"Captain, you may commence firing".

Watching with child like interest as the ship's forward and rear cannons quickly reduced the once pristine training field into a smouldering landscape of craters, and already forming plans on how he would personally lead a fleet of these vessels deep into the heart of Britannian controlled territoriy, Goering found his fantasy interrupted as Speer provided information that would influence the Chancellor's decision on which branch of the Reich's armed forces would have the honor of commanding these new weapons.

"Now, while the Rodina requires a substantial crew in order to keep it running, its manpower requirements end up equalling around 162 personnel, which is equal to the combined total of 3 long range Uboats from the Great War. And due to the fact that maunvering the Rodina has more in common with a submerged Uboat rather than a high altitude bomber, the ship's crew is entirely comprised of former naval personnel".

Fighting the urge to scowl at the subtle look of superiority that had come over his rival's face when learning about the background of the flying vessel's crew, the slightly pudgy leader of the Luftwaffe couldn't keep the disappointment from spreading across his face as Chancellor Krueger validated his fears.

"Then it appears that Admiral Raeder has just gained a powerful new weapon to supplement our already impressive naval fleet. I trust that you are capable of handling this new responsibility"?

Though he knew such a thing was unlikely to happen, Goering nevertheless wished for his rival to refuse this responsibility, if only because he felt that the honor of commanding such a powerful display of aerial weaponry should belong to him.

His thoughts must have been visible upon his face, for just as he was about to insincerely congratulate his rival for his recent success, the head of the Luftwaffe found himself staring into the amused countenance of his superior.

"I wouldn't look so down Hermann. While it is undeniable that our new fleet will play a large part in securing the future of the Reich, you and I both know that it won't be long until Britannia manages to match us ship for shup. So to that end, I believe I have 2 projects that may interest you. The first one will offer immediate benefits to the forces of the Reich once Speer manages to work out the kinks in producing the equipment. The other, well, despite constant delays, General Dornbereger assures me that the project will ensure that the Reich need not ever worry about an external enemy".

Intrigued by the offer, if only because it would allow him a chance to outperform his rival, Goering gave the only answer he could.

….

Though he had expected his presence to trigger some form of negative reaction amongst the leaders he had been sent to observe, the blue haired Sturmbannfuhrer was still caught off guard by the amount of venom that was currently pouring out of the mouth of mustached Colonel.

"General I do not believe this is necessary. Its bad enough that our current situation has us relying on foreign support to help free our nation from the yoke of Britannia. But to have this…this…traitor be the one to supervise us is the height of dishonor".

Retaining his blank expression in the face of the older man's insults, though in truth he would have liked nothing better than to copy his superior whenever she was presented with an insubordinate colleague, Akito fought the urge to smirk as the leader of the Japanese Liberation Front came to his defence.

"Kusakabe, your current attitude is shameful. While I confess that it is rather…unusual to see a member of our people act as the observer of a foreign power, I am familiar enough with the major's background to know that he is no traitor. And since he has a rather impressive record fighting against the forces of the very nation we are trying to remove from our country, you cannot deny that he has a warrior's spirit".

Though General Katase's words managed to illicit a grudging nod of respect from the argumentative colonel, it was nevertheless insufficient to keep him from lobbing another scathing question at the young officer.

"I do not doubt that he can fight General. However I must ask why, when he is finally back in the country of his birth, he chooses to wear that uniform instead of one that would show his commitment to freeing Japan"?

Kusakabe's question finally managing to cause a visible reaction from the blue haired ISD officer, though it was only a brief eye twitch, the Colonel's momentary feeling of victory was soon snatched away by the man who, while equal in rank, nevertheless commanded a level of respect that was equal, if not superior to their commanding officer.

"Because Jousi, while he may be providing the nation of his birth a chance to reclaim what they have lost, he has sworn an oath of service to those who gave him a chance to do what others cannot. And while I am saddened that this oath was not to Japan, I nevertheless admire the fact that he does not abandon it when presented with a hard to resist opportunity to do so".

Nodding his head in approval at his stoic subordinate's words of wisdom, Katase turned his full attention towards the black uniform wearing youth before he could be interrupted.

"My own thoughts tend to mirror Colonel Todoh's, but I think we've spent enough time discussing where your allegiance is supposed to be. The Britannian's are increasing their efforts to wipe out the last vestiges of Japan's pride, and unless we become more efficient in our efforts, then it is only a matter of time before the dream of reviving our nation comes to an end. So tell us Sturmbannfuhrer Hyuga, how can the weapons you have provided us increase our chances"?

In truth, Akito knew the weapons he had been sent with would be of little value to these reminders of Japan's past failures. For while they may be used to enhance the combat ability of their soldiers, especially the group known as the Four Holy Swords, all that they would manage to accomplish would be delaying the inevitable.

It was true that the use of the provided panzerfausts, and the small number of Hummels and 2nd generation Vikings would do much to ensure a more equal exchange of losses before the Empire's bludgeoned the JLF into submission. But unless they could hold out long enough for the Reich to be in a better position to provide more than clandestine support, the JLF would fail not only due their inability to deal more than minor damage to the Britannian garrison, but also because they lacked the ability to connect with the very people they were trying to save.

Yes the JLF possessed some credibility amongst the masses as the only surviving remnant of the Japanese military, but unlike the guerilla campaigns of Siberia, Africa, and the Middle East, the militant group did little to gain the support of the population, and as of late had failed to undertake any meaningful blows against their imperial oppressors.

But unfortunately, his orders, from Director Richter herself no less, had stated that his purpose wasn't to aid his countrymen in developing a viable strategy to achieve their goal. Rather it was to advise them on how to properly use the weapons they had been given, and to see how the Britannian's would react when confronted with a more well equipped adversary.

His experience in the Middle East had shown that despite a few notable examples, the Britannian officer corps lacked the flexibility to respond quickly to sudden changes on the battlefield, which usually resulted in greater losses than originally anticipated. Of course their numerical and qualitative superiority ensured that they would usually emerge triumphant against a weaker opponent, but it was always unclear whether or not they would sustain casualties that would prevent them from continuing their advance in any meaningful way.

Still, while he was certain that the Britannian's would eventually wipe out his hosts, especially if they were led by the same woman who had achieved the only noteworthy victories during the war against the Middle Eastern Federation, it was his task to ensure that each and every member of the reinforced JLF did their best to take out as many enemy soldiers as they could before succumbing to their fates.

And as he proceeded to explain to the officers of the Japanese Liberation Front on how to properly utilize their new weapons in their failing quest to annoy the Empire, Akito couldn't help but wonder his fellow exile, and superior officer was doing with her new assignment.

Probably better than him since she had been given the authority to do more than advise the organizations that lacked the informal relationship that the JLF enjoyed with the Houses of Kyoto. But considering Leila would more or less be under the direct supervision of Chancellor Krueger's sadistic right hand, he suspected that the exiled Britannian would have no qualms in switching places with him.

…

Keeping his composure until he was safely back in his private quarters, Kusakabe angrily poured himself a tall glass of sake before considering how this latest development would effect his plans.

While he could admit that at times his strong sense of patriotism prevented him from seeing the benefit of foregin entanglements, he nevertheless felt that this time he had very real concerns regarding the presence of their so called ally.

Yes the weapons he brought would allow the JLF to reclaim its rightful image as Japan's only hope for redemption, but the traitor, for despite Katase and Todoh's argument to the contrary that was what the Japanese ISD officer was, nevertheless represented a threat that the Kururugi administration had failed in preventing.

For ever since their island nation had been forced to abandon its centuries long practice of isolation, the Japanese Government, regardless of which political party had been in power at the time, had followed a careful policy of not only adopting Western methods to defend its shores from hostility, but also a neutral stance when it came to the realm of international politics.

And for the most part, the results had been satisfactory. For while the steel of the Samurai sword was replaced with the thundering power of modern weaponry, their nation's culture had been able to ensure that even in the face of technological change, the Japanese people would never be allowed to forget the richness of its history.

But that had been brought to a swift end with the appointment of Genbu Kururugi as Prime Minister.

While Kusakabe had to admire the man's ambition to make Japan a world power to be respected, and indeed this dream continued to course through the mustached colonel despite his nation's current status, Kururugi had proven himself to be an incompetent agent in achieving what should have been an easy task.

At first it seemed that world events would allow the Japanese leader to suceed. For 2 of the world superpowers had been locked in a titanic struggle whose final victor was no longer certain, while the 3rd was in no ways capable of launching a full scale invasion due to the fact that they had to station most of their forces along their north and western borders.

But underestimating the recent damage that had been dealt to the Empire, and over estimating the strength of his own recently expanded military, Kururugi's attempts to use economic blackmail to enhance his nation's status had resulted in catastrophic failure.

The man didn't even have the decency to wait for the fighting to be over before killing himself out of shame. Though considering that he HAD gone back on his promise to exhaust every available resources until accepting defeat, Kusakabe had to concede that suicide had been the only way for him to atone.

But such thoughts mattered little now.

For while his nation had been forced to endure the oppression of white skinned barbarians, recently followed by the indignity of accepting aid from those who would had shown themselves to be quite willing to copy the Imperial model of governance, he and he alone would reveal to the world that Japan's glory was about to be revived.

It had taken some doing, but thanks to his loyal subordinates, comprised of those who hadn't been taken in by the overinflated myths that surrounded the Victor of Itsukushima, his operation was now ready to proceed.

And once underway, it would remind the Empire, as well as the Reich, that the Japanese people were not to be trifled with.

….

And I think this is a great place to end it =)

Surprised by my writing speed for this story after months of inactivity, but since I'm finally moving the story along/writers block has been somewhat absent XD.

Anyway, to clarify a few things.

YES I know that Turkey was originally part of the EU in cannon. But have since corrected that oversight, and will probably provide some in story info about it at a later point.

At this point in time, the Britannian's haven't made it public yet that they have been working on aerial battleships. But that doesn't mean that other nations haven't been working on them. Look how quickly in the 2nd Season the Black Knights are able to develop a aerial fleet. Need design and testing before it can be placed into full scale production.

Believe I did a good job with Krueger's conversation with the Middle Eastern Leader. May paint him in a bad light, but considering that almost EVERY major military character looks out for their own self interests (Suzuaku betraying Lelouch, the Emperor to get a higher position, Black Knights to gain Japan, Schneziel with everyone he comes across) believe that this would be plausible J

ORGINALY plan was to have the Reich's Siegfried class of battleships resemble the Zeppelin spaceships from Iron Sky, but….ended up rewatching Das Boot, and the inspiration sort of went on from there XD. And unlike the Britannian Empire, which seems to make sure that EVERY one of its weapons has an artistic touch (Damocles, Lancelot, and the Avalon being prime examples of this) have decided that the Reich will go with the "As long as it works I don't care what it looks like' philosophy. At least for things that have to be mass produced.

And yes, continuing the trend of using historical characters to flesh out the high ranking members of the Reich. So far I got Albert Speer, Fatso Goering, Georgy Zhukov, Joseph Stalin, Erich Raeder (Leader of Nazi Germany's Navy until one to many disappointments caused Hitler to promote Donitz, head of the Uboats). Also made mention of one General Dornbereger, who in real life was the man responsible for leading the V2 rocket program, Von Braun designed the rocket, but like General Groves and the Atom bomb, Dornbereger was the one responsible for making it a reality. And trying to keep the personality's similar to what they had despite the fact that my OC has caused them to be more efficient. (i.e. everything that flies belongs to me).

Believe that my depiction of the JLF with Akito was pretty spot on. Hardliners like Kusakbe would view him as a traitor for serving another nation, while Katase and Todoh respect him for fighting the Britannians and keeping his oath to the country that allowed him to do so.

And Kusakabe….the guy whose responsible for creating the conditions for Zero's return to glory XD. Cause without his pride/racisim, there would be no hostage situation for the Black Knights to resolve, and there would be reason for Cornelia's vengeful sister instincts to kick in.

Now, to answer some questions.

Chancelor ZVE: I'm seeing that Cornelia's colleague, Nonette Enneagram, must have faced the then-General Krueger during the Great War to have developed this feeling of admiration that Cornelia describes, but that begs the question: while the setting is into canon and years after the Great War, are there going to be flashback segments/chapters of certain points in the past, or are they just going to be mentioned in present-time?

Answer: Undecided on whether or not there will be flashback scenes, but I will work to explain how this feeling of admiration has come about. Whether its through a flashback, a conversation, or those lovely excerpts I have at the beginning of each chapter. It will be expanded upon.

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this.

KEEP REVIEWING.

HEIL EUROPA.