The Double-Headed Eagle Soars to the Sky - A Russian Empire AAR

[cassa61]

oww damn you suvorov you made me fall off my chair i was leaning forward so much in anticipation of what would happen and you go and do a cliffhanger on us

 

[unmerged(14689)]

Chapter V​

Two meetings – part 3​

Naryshkin looked Obolenskij straight in the eyes and said:

“I believe the interests of the Empire would be best served with a change in leadership of the Third Section.”

There. He said it. The cards were on the table. With his bridges burning behind him, Naryshkin had to move forward decisively, severely hindered by the fact that he had just given control over the situation to Obolenskij. Naryshkin had turned himself into a mere spectator at exactly the same time his fate would be decided on.

As soon as he had finished his sentence, Naryshkin nervously started looking for signs in Obolenskij’s facial expression that could give him a clue about the reaction his statement would provoke. What was Obolenskij thinking? If he was thinking anything at all, he was hiding it pretty damn well.

Behind that emotionless façade, however, Obolenskij was quickly digesting the ramifications of what he had just heard.

Slowly, carefully weighing every word, Obolenskij started talking:

“Mmm, I see. Of course, you didn’t tell me that just to get it off your chest, did you? What is it that you need from me?”

Naryshkin felt a strong sense of relieve. He obviously wasn’t safe yet, but Obolenskij at least didn’t seem opposed to the idea.

“Well,” Naryshkin said, “I need you to take his place.”

No need for cautious preludes to sensible topics anymore. Naryshkin had crossed the line that made one eligible for a one way trip to Siberia at the very moment he stated his desire to get rid of Trepov. Caution had run its course, now the situation demanded clarity and persuasion. Obolenskij clearly appreciated Naryshkin’s change of style.

“You want me as the new head of the Third Section?” Obolenskij asked. “And how are you planning to accomplish that?”

Significantly, Obolenskij avoided telling Naryshkin directly he was interested, but Naryshkin still was pleased with Obolenskij’s answer. Slowly, he felt he was regaining control of the situation again. Now, he just needed to persuade Obolenskij to ally with him.

As a true salesman, Naryshkin, with fire in his eyes and heavily gesticulating, told Obolenskij about the plan he had come up with and what Obolenskij’s role in the whole scheme would be. The longer Naryshkin was talking, the bigger the grin on Obolenskij’s face became. That damned Naryshkin had cooked up quite a plan!

After Naryshkin had finished talking, he asked Obolenskij: “And, what do you say?”

Obolenskij, still grinning, replied: “I say Trepov is history!”



@stnylan: Yes, Obolenskij is no pushover…

@cassa61: Sorry for the cliffhanger. Hope you liked how it ended!

 

[stnylan]

One would not like to be Trepov now.

 

[cassa61]

yes i did suvorov you took away a bit of naryshkin's power and gave it to obelenskij which was interesting and nicely done by the way
***One would not like to be Trepov now***
one would never have liked to be trepov althoug now that he's getting backed into a corner how will he react? although he probably won't realize he's in a corner until it's too late .
is the information helping suvorov cause if you want anything more specific i can probably help on that as well (as long as it's in the game)
slightly off topic anyone know the quote tags?

 

[stnylan]

If you hit the reply with quote button (next to the quickreply button) you ought to see these tags

Hope that helps

edit: doesn't quite work like it did in the old version, but if you still hit the quote-reply button you'll still see the tags.

 

[unmerged(14689)]

is the information helping suvorov cause if you want anything more specific i can probably help on that as well (as long as it's in the game)

Yes, it's helping, thank you! Strange that Russia has "multi-party"...

 

[stnylan]

perhaps you could interpret that as multi-faction?

 

[unmerged(14689)]

Chapter V​

Two meetings – part 4​

June 11, 1835, St. Petersburg

Julia Eichenbaum was nervously walking along the embankment of the Mojka river. Although the St. Petersburg nights weren’t all that dark this time of year, a consequence of the city’s northern location, she felt ill at ease. Constantly she heard suspicious noises, making her stop and turn to listen more carefully. Every time she did this, however, she was faced with complete and utter silence; a quiet city looking down on her asking itself what it was she was hearing. This should have made her feel more at ease, but because she was certain there was someone out there, this observation only caused more anxiety.

“Now, where is that damn courtyard?” Julia thought, looking at the numbers of the houses she passed.

She had never liked St. Petersburg. Only bad things had happened to her here and the weather was also awful. The northern summer heat was oppressive, the winter cold felt to the bone. It was the humidity that made St. Petersburg a terrible place to be all year round. No, she’d much rather be in Minsk right now, where she had grown up. When she had been a little girl, her father had decided the Eichenbaums should move to the capital, because finding work, so he had been told, was much easier there.

However, St. Petersburg didn’t turn out to be the paradise Julia’s father had expected it to be. He wasn’t able to find a job and he and his family were forced to live on a day by day basis. Sometimes, he could get a job for a few weeks (this was known as a ‘secure’ job at the Eichenbaums), but nothing to build a future on. After several years he died. Exhaustion, a strong feeling of guilt for the situation he had gotten his family in and, the last straw, pneumonia finally did him in. Just two years later, Julia’s mother also died, leaving behind three boys and a girl. Julia, who was the eldest, now was forced to take care of her three younger brothers.

In Minsk, this wouldn’t have been a real problem. The Eichenbaums were Jewish and Minsk had a large Jewish community they could have counted on. In St. Petersburg, however, the Eichenbaums had always been strangers and there was no one to fall back on. In desperation, Julia turned to selling the only thing worth selling; she became a prostitute. Sometimes, she dreamt about returning to Minsk and beginning a whole new life there, but whenever she noticed herself slipping away into this dreamland, she mercilessly dragged herself back to reality. With three boys depending on her, she couldn’t let herself be distracted by silly dreams. Too much was at stake.

“Ah, finally!” Julia said to herself when she had found the number she had been looking for. After checking, again, if nobody was following her, she walked into the courtyard. It was pitch-dark.

“Oh, great. Just my luck,” she murmured. She took the time to let her eyes get used to the darkness and then noticed a carriage standing on the other side of the courtyard. Slowly, she started walking towards it.

Julia had no idea what to expect. Earlier that day, she had been handed a letter by a young boy dressed in rags, who said it came from someone important. After opening it, she found directions to the courtyard she was in now, a time at which she was supposed to be there and 10 rubles. Julia had immediately understood that this wasn’t a letter from a customer. This was something totally different and, so she feared, something potentially dangerous. The 10 rubles, however, finally convinced her to go and have a look and find out what the mysterious letter was all about. Walking towards the carriage she felt it might have been wiser to ignore the letter.

As she reached the carriage, which was totally black, Julia knocked on the door. The driver, completely unrecognizable in the dark, didn’t even look at her, didn’t even move. After a few seconds, the door of the carriage was opened from the inside and a male voice said:

“Get in.”


@stnylan: Well, in every group of people of considerable size there are bound to be factions... It looks like a mistake to me, although, of course, I don't know how the game works and what "multi-party" means in game terms.

 

[stnylan]

There are two basic party systems that I have played with - Two Party and Multi Party. In Two party there are two main parties, and other parties compete with a serious penalty. In multi-party it is a level playing field.

I guess alot though would depend on the specific parties, and I haven't played Russia yet so I couldn't say.

But anyway, onto important things! Another good update. A nice counterpoint to the pampered aristos.

 

[unmerged(14689)]

A new update for my few loyal fans... If you are reading, please let me know what you think of it. It would be appreciated.

Chapter V​

Two meetings – part 5​

Not without some hesitation, Julia climbed into the carriage. As she sat down opposite the man that had told her to get in, Julia saw the door being closed. What would happen now?

“I’m glad you came,” said the man.

Julia tried to make out his face, but it was too dark. She wasn’t able to distinguish any characteristic, which, so she figured, was exactly what the stranger had intended.

“I’m not sure I’m so happy to be here,” Julia replied, realizing she was in a very weak position if the man intended to do her any harm and silently cursing herself for getting involved in this.

“Don’t worry, please. I have no intention of hurting you. I only have a request to make. After that, you are free to go,” the man said in a pleasant voice, gently trying to remove Julia’s worries.

During the past few years Julia not only had acquired a healthy dose of suspicion, she also had become quite a good judge of character. Although the man sitting in front of her remained hidden in darkness, she somehow felt he was telling the truth. Or maybe she just hoped this to be the case. Either way, she calmed down a bit and started to feel more at ease. She didn’t, however, lower her guard.

“A request? What kind of request?”

“As I understand, you live together with three other women who share your… profession. Is this correct?”

Julia was stunned.

The three women the stranger had mentioned were, to Julia at least, angels sent from heaven. After the death of her mother had forced her to become a prostitute, Julia had been taken under these women’s protection. Being veterans of the harsh life on the streets, they had taught her everything she needed to know to survive. Also, they had become her friends. When Julia had been invited to move in with them, she had accepted immediately, even though the available room was moist and far too small for four. Still, at least she had found a place she felt safe. And now this complete stranger seemed to know all about her… What was going on here? Who was this man?

With her feeling of unease growing again, Julia asked him: “H-how do you know about with whom I live?”

Was it a smile she saw in the darkness? Or was that just her imagination playing tricks on her?

“How I know of this is of no importance. My request, however, involves them.”

He paused, apparently deciding on how to put his request into words. Then he spoke again:

“I want you to tell your friends that you are having an affair with a high ranked government official. Not only should you tell them that, you should act as a woman having such an affair. It is very important that those who know you best are convinced the whole story is true.”

The words “high ranked government official”, uttered so casually by the stranger sitting in front of her, had caused alarm bells starting to ring all through Julia’s head. Julia immediately understood she had just been asked to get involved in power games played at the highest level, power games in which she would be a mere pawn. The fact that pawns tend to get sacrificed made her very cautious.

“A high ranked government official, huh? That’s some request you have there. What are the risks involved? And, also not unimportant, what’s in it for me?”

“The risks are virtually non-existent,” the man assured her, “because me and my associate are in a perfect position to protect you. As for the benefits involved: I can promise you a large amount of money on the condition that you will leave the capital as soon as you are told to do so. I assure you that the funds allocated to you will be substantial enough to start your life anew wherever you like. A new identity and corresponding documents will also be provided.”

The chance to start life anew? To erase the past and begin all over again? Was that really possible? Go back to Minsk, live like St. Petersburg never existed? This was too good to be true. Although her mind still preached skepticism and caution, her heart cried out for Minsk and a decent life. It was her heart that answered the man when Julia said:

“OK, I’ll do it.”

 

[stnylan]

Mmmm, it is an interesting one. I like the repeated, unanswered, questions that go through Julia's head. I think they slowly build up and out from her immediate situation, nicely into her half-forgotten dreams of hope (without any surety that they might actually come to fruition) and thereby make sense of her rather impulsive acceptance.

The trick of, for the moment, keeping the identity of her 'companion' (though personally I suspect it to be Naryshkin) is useful in that it heightens the affair from HER perspective.

I probably would not have included the extra detail on her relationship with the three women, I think that is un-necessary for the scene and acts as a slight impediment (what is important is that the figure knows something about Julia's life, this particular aspect of her life would have been better included in the previous update or not spelled out).

There is very little physical movement in the update. I think that might be a missed chance to convey some of Julia's tension. Perhaps she is holding her hands tightly together as she considers the implications of getting involved. Perhaps she starts at the mention of a 'high government official'. Perhaps she breathes quicker as she considers the possible futures? That sort of thing.

I can't comment precisely on its role in the wider plot - not knowing how it will play out.

However, it is a very good installment - and the above analysis is only included because it was sort of requested. I only hope you find my ramblings useful.

 

[C.N.]

Looks good so far.

 

[HJ Tulp]

GREAT update Suv
Ya know, as soon as you've finished this AAr take a look at the 1420s (Medieval) RPG. The Russian nations are taken but there are more then enough interesting nations

 

[Alain-Masque]

Great AAR Suovorov! Just got around to reading it, i'm hoping on restarting my Russian one soon (which isn't a tenth as good as yours) now that i've got my old computer's hard drive copied.

 

[unmerged(14689)]

@stnylan: Thanks for your comments. I was aiming on getting people who post less regularly to say something (it's not really rewarding to write for 2), but I still was happy to hear from you. I've never written fiction before, so all tips are welcomed! About those three women: I had trouble fitting it in. I might have made the wrong decision... It is important for the story, though. They are the "witnesses" needed.

@C.N.: Thanks.

@HJ Tulp: Thank you. About the RPG: I don't think I have the time. ATM I am unemployed, but I hope this will change soon. When this happens, I think I'll be struggling to keep this AAR updated regularly.

@Alain-Masque: Get writing again! I'll be reading again.

 

[unmerged(14689)]

Chapter V​

Two meetings – part 6​

“You’ll do it?” the man asked. “Great. I just hope you fully understand the consequences of this decision. After everything will have been set in motion, there’ll be no way back for you. If you do what you are told, you will be rewarded handsomely.”

Julia was just about to confirm her commitment, when the stranger, in a chilly voice, added:

“However, if you were to become a liability to us, I can assure you that you will be dealt with accordingly.”

Julia felt her face and hands turn cold. A nauseating feeling took hold of her stomach. She had no doubt whatsoever this wasn’t an empty threat.

“No, no, I would do nothing to jeopardize your plans. I will do exactly what you tell me to,” Julia, nervously playing with her hair, tried to convince him of her good intentions.

“I believe you,” the man, again in his honey sweet voice, said to her. As if nothing had happened, he continued: “So, let me explain exactly what I expect you to do. You should convince your friends you are having an affair with a high ranked official. There is no need to give them a name, it will suffice to casually mention the fact the he is the head of the secret police. In order to make your story more credible, you should wear this.”

An old hand holding a small box appeared out of the dark. Julia took the box and opened it.

“Oh my, it’s beautiful!” Julia exclaimed as she noticed a golden ring lying on a small bed of red velvet.

The man was untouched by the beauty of the piece of jewelry: “Yes, quite. What’s more important for the plan, however, is the fact that it is expensive. It is a gift from your ‘lover’.”

Immediately, Julia put the ring on and, in near complete darkness, started admiring it as best as possible.

“When I show them this, they’d even believe I’m the mistress of the Czar himself,” Julia joked. She was completely lost in the beauty of the ring; it was like nothing she had ever seen before. The strong voice of the mysterious man, filled with the annoyance he felt about Julia’s naïve adoration of a piece of jewelry, broke the spell:

“I would seriously advise you to pay attention.”

Startled by the harsh male voice penetrating her dream world, Julia quickly put the ring back in the little box. Eager to show the man she was still very much interested in hearing what he had to say, Julia inquired what else she would have to do.

“Not all that much,” the man replied. “Your main task will be convincing your friends that there really is an affair going on between you and the head of the secret police. Come home late, be overly cheerful, drop some ‘juicy’ hints, you get the picture. However, at some point, you will be informed that you must leave the city. When this happens, you and your brothers should leave the house as if it were a normal day. This means without luggage or anything else you don’t usually take with you in such cases. Everything you need will be taken care of. After you have left, you can not come back to St. Petersburg. Ever. Nor will you be allowed to contact anyone here. Believe me, we will be keeping an eye on you. If anyone ever hears about this, we will have you killed.”

Again, a threat. Again, it sounded sincere. At that very moment, Julia decided to keep the whole matter to herself and never tell a living soul about it.

“Ah, there is one more thing,” the man suddenly said, “before you leave St. Petersburg, I want you to hide this in your room.”

Just like a few minutes back, Julia again saw an old hand appear out of the dark. This time it was holding a large sealed folder. Julia took the folder, leaned towards the window, catching the weak moonlight, and read: ‘Third Section of His Majesty’s Own Chancery. Top Secret.’

The man added: “As you can see, the folder is sealed. You are not allowed to break that seal. You are not allowed to do anything with that folder, except hide it. Is that clear?”

Julia nodded, only to realize that in the darkness this wouldn’t get noticed, so she hastily said: “Yes, yes, completely.”

“OK, that’s it then. You may go now.”

Numbed by all she had heard, and all the threats she had received, Julia didn’t get up immediately. Then, she slowly got up, opened the door and got out of the carriage.

“Goodbye,” she said, but the man didn’t answer.

* * *​

“You’re home late,” Marija greeted her husband as he entered the main room of the house.

“Yes, I’m sorry, dear,” Naryshkin said, kissing his wife on the forehead, “Michail just couldn’t stop building castles in the sky, dreaming up a Russian paradise. You know how he gets sometimes…”

Marija smiled: “Yes, I know. He does have a tendency to get carried away.”

She got up from her chair and walked to the door.

“I’m going to bed. Are you coming?”

“Yes, in a minute. I’ll just have a nightcap.”

“OK, goodnight,” Marija said as she walked out the door.

“Goodnight, dear,” Naryshkin replied.

He walked to the cabinet where he kept his cognac. Slowly, as if it were an ancient ritual to please some god, Naryshkin filled his glass. After this, he sat down in his chair. Although the room was empty, Naryshkin raised his glass to make a toast:

“To Boris Vasilievich Trepov, the former head of the Third Section of His Majesty’s Own Chancery.”

He grinned. This definitely was an exquisite cognac…

 

[Estonianzulu]

Hmm, I would be suprised if Julia remains alive after Teprov goes away.

 

[HJ Tulp]

The Naive Mr. Michail probably falls in love with her or something like that

 

[stnylan]

I know the feeling Suvorov. I asked for something similar in my last post of my own AAR, and got several replies which were basically the 'good update' theme.

Along with E I think Julia and her brothers (and the other witnesses) could be dead very quickly anyway. I guess, assuming that it is Naryshkin, or rather assuming that Naryshkin is the motivator, it depends on his own sense of personal honour. He seems to be the character that does have a sense of honour - but as to what it is, I cannot fathom.

Viewing the whole Julia sequence as an entire scene there is a nice ratcheting up of the tension. I particularly liked the placement of the line where Julia decides not to tell anyone else, since that means that the earlier threats had not, in fact, made her mind up. I just liked that.

 

[unmerged(14689)]

I guess, assuming that it is Naryshkin, or rather assuming that Naryshkin is the motivator,

Damn, I thought I made it clear without saying so directly: Naryshkin didn't come home late from Michail, if you get my drift... Also, if not Naryshkin in that carriage, how could he have known the plan was ready to be executed?