He can act like it's fine all he wants, I suspect even Theodor is a touch disturbed by Josh's complete numbness to the truth. Also, I assume that's effectively the end of Gustav.
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Yes, even by Theodor's standards, Josh is a complete monster...and also the perfect soldier he's been searching for without the Panopticon. That has to be very unnerving for him.
Gustav has had no POVs and is little more than a background character from here to where I paused writing in January 2039, so yes, he's pretty much gone.
- 1
What To Do
Yavdian Army bunker ‘Ilmarisen Takomo,’ the Ural Mountains - November 19
The Ilmarisen Takomo—also known as the Forge of Ilmarinen, the Suomenusko Hephaestus—was huge. It was designed to be the Yavdian government’s emergency base of operations in case nuclear war broke out. Here, Orus Amur and the Tsar-Khagan Tayisung I continued coordinating the Yavdian response to Jerusalem’s bid for world domination. They were on B2F, the government administrative center. B1F was the military base guarding the only entrances in and out of the bunker. The main entrance was hidden high on a mountain deep in the middle of the Urals, far from civilization. There was also a hangar entrance, which her plane had taken on its arrival, but it was as heavily guarded as the main entrance. B3F and B4F were the residential quarters for Wilhelmina and the others who fled here (aside from Borislav and his family, who were hidden in another bunker for extra security). Although the bunker was huge, she still felt walled in and cramped. Maybe it was because a young Yavdian soldier kept following her around. She understand the boy—he looked barely 18—was supposed to be her bodyguard, but it wasn’t like Tsarberg where she could walk anywhere with Sophie or just herself. Tsarberg was just a memory at this point. Disappearing into the back of her mind like her lunchtime chats at the chaguan with Tsai and Jayasimha. Disappearing like her last memories of her grandfather, uncle, and parents. Disappearing like Olga.
“Something on your mind, ma’am?” the soldier said.
“It’s nothing,” Wilhelmina said, “Just trying to remember the faces of those we lost.”
“We’ve all lost people, haven’t we?” the soldier said.
“We have,” Wilhelmina said, “Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like it’s been only three weeks.”
“I had family in Kursk when it got nuked,” the soldier said.
“Must have been hard losing them,” Wilhelmina said.
“I went into the army to support my two little sisters and my parents,” the soldier said, “Now they’re all dead, and I’m stuck in a bunker. Unable to even bury them. I don’t know what to do next.”
“I get it,” Wilhelmina said, “I remember when my parents died. That feeling of being powerless, unable to save them. And then again when my grandfather died. And my uncles. And even Olga Kirova too. I was unable to save them. I…could only stand by and receive the news.”
“All this loss…what is it for, even?” the soldier said.
“I don’t know, really,” Wilhelmina said, “Probably to stroke someone’s ego.”
“I heard rumors that the nukes were fired because Han insulted the committee’s masculinity,” the soldier said, “This world must be very messed up, if hundreds of millions of innocent lives can be ended in seconds because some old men in Berlin got offended.”
“I agree,” Wilhelmina said, “Why do they get the power to murder so many over so little?”
“Isn’t it the same across all of history?” the soldier said. “The strong using their power to murder the weak in all of their petty feuds? Vultures preying on roadkill throughout all time?”
“You do have a point,” Wilhelmina said, “Even the old Reich wasn’t above that. We sent men off to die in Mexico because some old men wanted to make money. Then when some of them survived and came back, we tossed them aside and expected them to act normal and make those men more money.”
“No offense, but would you be any different?” the soldier said.
“I can’t say for sure,” Wilhelmina said, “I’d like to think I would, but…would I really? Could I really do it? Or would people just ignore me and go back to their old habits? If I do survive this war and go home…I’ll have a lot to work towards. It’ll probably take my whole life, or what’s left of it.”
“Didn’t expect that kind of answer,” the soldier said.
“What were you expecting?” Wilhelmina said. “That I’d do it? Or that I wouldn’t do it?”
“One of those,” the soldier said, “In my experience, people would either claim they would do it—only for the actual situation to make them reconsider and backtrack—or just say they wouldn’t for any host of excuses. You? You acknowledged you might not be able to do it…but that you’d try to do it.”
“You sound much wiser than you look, kid,” Wilhelmina said.
“I get that a lot,” the soldier said.
“I don’t think I got your name,” Wilhelmina said, “What was it again?”
“Samir, ma’am,” the soldier said, “Private Samir Tetchu.”
“Nice to meet you, Samir,” Wilhelmina said, shaking his hand.
Berlin - November 20
“It’s been 18 days,” Heinrich said, “So can someone PLEASE tell me what the frak is going on with this war?!”
“There’s no need,” Moria said, “We’ve been making preparations for quite some time, so the operations can run themselves. The generals know exactly what they have to do. Just relax and let High Command handle it.”
“Which brings up a whole lot of other questions,” Heinrich said, “WHY THE FRAK WAS I NOT TOLD WE WERE GOING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD?!”
“Well, we didn’t see any reason to,” Moria said.
“I’m the frakking Megas Domestikos!” Heinrich said. “Commander-in-chief of the military! I at least should know when my troops are actually doing something! What happened to support the troops?”
Moria said nothing. All Heinrich could see was another smug expression on his face, as if he enjoyed messing with Heinrich.
He looked at Josiah. “Hey, back me up here!”
Josiah said nothing.
“Come on!” he said. “At least give me one of your trademark outbursts!”
Still nothing.
“Elias is still in the field, is he?” Heinrich said.
“Yeah,” Moria said, “Something about personal business.”
“Where’s Theodor?” Heinrich said.
“Also in the field,” Moria said.
“Huh,” Heinrich said, “Any idea when they’ll be back?”
“Not sure, you’ll have to ask them yourself,” Moria said.
“I see,” Heinrich said, “Can I at least get an update on the situation?”
“Alright, alright, fine,” Moria said, “Nepal’s in the middle of a civil war after a referendum on unification with India passed and the Paulluists cracked down. Oh, and half their army’s tied up invading Bhutan currently.”
That told him absolutely nothing.
“Are you serious?” Heinrich said. “How the hell is that relevant? Can you at least tell me how much territory we’ve gained? The progress we’ve made in Russia and Persia? Josiah, do you know anything?”
Josiah remained silent.
“What the hell is your problem, everyone?!” Heinrich said.
What could he do? Could he even do anything?
Tiergarten
Heinrich sat on the bench, as usual. Gertrude soon sat behind him.
“So I hear Theodor went out to to the front,” he said, “Joining Elias, it seems. Only relevant piece of information I got out of Moria.”
“So our two biggest opponents are out of the country,” Heinrich said, “Perfect.”
“All we’ll have to deal with are Moria and Josiah,” Gertrude said, “I have an idea. You handle those two, I’ll go to Russia and handle Elias and Theodor.”
“I’ll have to make sure the army is loyal to me first,” Heinrich said, “We have only one shot. If we fail, we’re dead, and there will be nobody left to stop them.”
“I know that,” Gertrude said, “Which is why I have a contingency plan.”
“Like what?” Heinrich said.
“You’ll see,” Gertrude said, “You have my word Elias will never set foot in the Reich again.”
“Your word means nothing to me, after what you did,” Heinrich said.
“I understand,” Gertrude said, “There’s nothing making up for what I did. But maybe this is how I can repent.”
“As long as you just keep him out of the country,” Heinrich said, “Buy me time to get the army back on my side and get rid of Josiah and Moria.”
“I’ll try,” Gertrude said, “But you must be prepared to make the right choices. The choices that will save our country.”
“It’s not just our country, it’s the whole world we have to save now,” Heinrich said.
Ali Qapu Palace, Isfahan - November 21
“Alex, hand me the wrench,” Thea said.
Alex picked up the wrench and held it out. From her spot underneath their new project in their new lab right in the royal palace itself, she rolled out and took the wrench, then rolled back in. He heard the sound of screws tightening.
“I never would’ve thought we’d get a lab like this again,” Alex said.
“Neither did I,” Thea said, “It’s a lot like Damascus.”
Alex and Thea hadn’t met up with Alexandra and Magnus in a while, due to the latter’s work in Natanz, but after the labs there were flattened in an SVI strike, they returned to Isfahan full-time, and Gunduz had allowed them to work in the palace lab itself.
“Yeah, it is,” Alexandra said.
“Or even my brother’s labs,” Thea said.
“Has just about everything we need,” Magnus said.
“Everything you need to win the war?” Gunduz said, walking in.
Alex immediately stood up and bowed, as did Alexandra and Magnus. Thea tried rolling out from under the project, her face and arms still covered in grease, but Gunduz held up her hand.
“By all means, stop your work,” Gunduz said, “Nothing going on other than the impending conquest of the world by a genocidal Christoecofascist regime. I came in here to check up on what you were doing. Care to explain?”
“Oh, yeah, of course, ma’am,” Thea said, “One second…”
She reached up and pulled off the cover.
“Here’s a miniaturized betharium-generating particle accelerator,” she explained, “We took the entire design and shrunk it down to a quarter of the original size.”
“What can it do?” Gunduz said.
“Well, I’m thinking of converting it into a reactor,” Thea said.
“I was doing some research into betharium,” Alexandra said, “Since it’s a really large element in the island of stability, fusion is impractical, but what if we were to trigger fission in it, and then trigger fusion on the resulting particles?”
“Meanwhile, we continue generating betharium via fusion and gather fast neutrons given off by the event to trigger fission,” Alex said, “This would give us a much more economical and efficient engine.”
“I don’t give a frak how all these tiny specks of dust put on a light show,” Gunduz said, “Technobabble is not what I need. I need to know the applications.”
“Well, once we perfect the fusion-fission mechanism, we could set up a bunch of these reactors across Isfahan and power the whole city at a fraction of the cost of conventional power sources,” Magnus said, “Not as much infrastructure is needed, which would make it harder to target.”
“Can we use it to make betharium-based weapons?” Gunduz said.
“Excuse me?” Alexandra said.
“Dr. Hansen, you discovered that new element years ago, but you never found a use for it,” Gunduz said, “Well, I’m giving you one now. We need weapons that can make use of its high energy potential.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Alexandra said.
“We are still in the early stages of research—” Magnus said.
“Was I talking to you?” Gunduz said.
“You don’t understand,” Alexandra said, “Betharium isn’t something we can just turn into a weapon on a whim. Who knows what can of worms it might unleash?”
“Well, I’m not concerned with hypotheticals, that’s your job, Doctor,” Gunduz said, “I am concerned with what’s going on right now. We lost contact with Livonia and Scandinavia, and I fear the worst for both of them. The Malians are desperately throwing their entire army at Westafrika because Timbuktu and Bamako got nuked. China is on the warpath in Siberia. The Eimerican Federation is almost nonexistent. The Tawantinsuyuans are putting up a fight, but Jerusalem’s already advanced deep into the corridor. Sumatra and Mittagsland are about to be taken from the loyalists by the committee and Zhao. That nullifier isn’t coming fast enough.”
“We’re trying, but we’re missing valuable Panopticon data,” Thea said, “Without that data, any implementation we have will be incomplete. I was hoping we would receive that data from the Russian team, but with Russia in its current state, that is now impossible.”
“Then find it,” Gunduz said, “I don’t care how, find it. In the meantime, we’ll need every advantage we can get. Like betharium weapons.”
“I’m not weaponizing that,” Alexandra said, “Betharium was supposed to power the world, not destroy it.”
“We don’t have the luxury to decide,” Gunduz said, “Persia is the only Schengen member that can still resist Jerusalem. If we fall, Schengen dies. So I need you to understand the urgency of this situation.”
“And I’m telling you to find another way, while we work on this and the nullifiers,” Thea said.
“This is the best we can do,” Alex said.
Gunduz sighed. “If this is the best we can do, how can we hope to win? What are we going to do?”
- 2
I reread the last part of the previous story update and I saw that you were right. I was properly saying that in the hopes that that Gustav was someone else.
Good. I hope Theodor has nightmares that keeps him up at night due to this revaluation.
So has he been written out of the story like Anna, Annie, and Walter were?
I do like how Wilhelmina admitted that even she is not sure that she would have done anything different if she was in power given how Roman society was like even before the Committee. To me it takes courage to say that because while we would all like to say we would be different the societies we live in are massive influences on our lives for better or worse.
In a way if I was Heinrich I would not know what would be worse to be killed by an authoritarian regime or just being ignored and forgotten about.
Yea I have no hope in Gertrude at the moment and even if she douse pull through I still want her brought to justice after the Committee falls.
On one hand I agree with Alexandra in that the new element should not be used for war but I can see Gunduz's point in were we do not have the time to debate this and that we need to use everything we have to defeat the Committee.
However now that I think about it I can see betharium being used to power warp drive engines in Stellaris since Magnus said it could be used as a power source.
I rarely have two characters with the same first name active at the same time, and when I do, it's almost always an accident. Like I had the angel Wilhelm, Wilhelm Kurtz, and Wilhelm Karl's POVs overlapping with each other occasionally, but I never had two of them active at the same time or interacting with each other. I also changed Khulan's enforced name away from Agnes to avoid confusion with Agnes Gaillard. I find it easier that way. Though sometimes I do wish Gustav did redeem himself, after what he experienced. He still could, as I haven't decided on his final fate yet.
Hopefully.
No, he's still around, but he's downgraded to a background character. I actually reassigned a few of his lines to other people in future scenes to show how minor he has become.
She learned a lot about being humble from her mom and Uncle Georg.
That's the thing with totalitarian regimes of any kind, there is no concept of the individual, only an expendable cog in the machine that can be easily replaced. The totalitarian state can make being forgotten an even worse fate than death.
Definitely. Gertrude can't be let off the hook that easily.
Both of them do have a point. They just have to find a balance somewhere, so they have a weapon to use but don't lose their souls in the process.
It would have to be hyperdrives now since warp was removed years ago. Funny enough, my original Stellaris plan assumed I would be playing with warp drives. The same plan still largely works with hyperdrives, and it actually works much better with hyperdrives because I can do so much more with their use.
Pretty wholesome conversation Wihelamina had with what I assume is going to be a recurring character, especially after the pain of losing Olga is still flesh. Wilhelmina raised a good point while being humble to Samir, even if she takes the throne and turns out to be a good Kaiserin after the Commitee falls, it won’t be enough to heal the wounds that Jerusalem has left the Reich that may never heal. It may not even matter in the end, as it’s possible people will have had enough of the Hohenzollerns, the monarchy and maybe even the Reich itself by the time this is over.
Gertrude definitely should face justice for all she has done and Henrich is right to be suspicious of her, but if she does mean what she say, then hopefully her plans against Elias' madness works out and doesn't fail and get herself, Henrich and potential everyone horribly killedand then teabagged by Josh. As for Henrich’s side of the conspiracy, if there’s one upside to Henrich being powerless and ignored by the Committee, it’s that Jerusalem’s chain of command is non-existent.
Alexandria‘s objections to betharium being made into a weapon is understandable, but her team better get working on making sure the Nullifier is working and ready against the Crusaders fast before Persia (which I’m guessing is the new leader of Schengen) is destroyed if they don't to use it then.
Also, Gunduz mentioned China attaching Yavadi now, which makes me both curious and worried about what Han would do should he capture the Hohenzollerns, considering he’s hostile to both Jerusalem and the loyalists due to Sinocentrism.
Gertrude definitely should face justice for all she has done and Henrich is right to be suspicious of her, but if she does mean what she say, then hopefully her plans against Elias' madness works out and doesn't fail and get herself, Henrich and potential everyone horribly killed
Alexandria‘s objections to betharium being made into a weapon is understandable, but her team better get working on making sure the Nullifier is working and ready against the Crusaders fast before Persia (which I’m guessing is the new leader of Schengen) is destroyed if they don't to use it then.
Also, Gunduz mentioned China attaching Yavadi now, which makes me both curious and worried about what Han would do should he capture the Hohenzollerns, considering he’s hostile to both Jerusalem and the loyalists due to Sinocentrism.
Plus moments in gameplay where you defend and/or attack strategic hyperlane choke point systems during war could lead to some interesting storylines as well despite the vastness of space, so I guess we have that upside of warp drives no longer being used in the story. Plus you did just say that the story plan wont be too different with the shift from warp drives to hyperdrives.
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I can understand the concern of using betharium as a weapon when it was meant to help change the world tbh, sadly with the world on fire, I don't think Alexandra and her friends have choice when eventually Jerusalem is at Persia's doorstep. It's just a shame that it's definitely gonna end that way. Also China's pushing into Yavdi already? That's very concerning. As concerning as this conspiracy Gertrude and Heinreich have, part of me dreads that it will eventually fail, but I'm hoping they can prevail, not everyday you get to root for the one Dandolo that's actively trying to bring down a Roman Empire-in-all-but-name, powerless as he is.
I did say in the intro blurb that the people "may decide that nine centuries of Hohenzollern rule may be more than enough..."
Jerusalem might seem like an unstoppable behemoth at this point, but if the right people start noticing the nonexistent chain of command, that might just be enough to at least level the playing field.
Persia is the de facto leader of Schengen now, but the pact itself is effectively nonexistent, as all of its bureaucracy and political infrastructure is gone. "Schengen" is nothing more than the CAC states and Yavdi. Schengen and Livonia are unable to coordinate anything with them.
My recent rewatch of Stargate SG-1 has taught me a lot of creative uses for hyperdrives. I know the Stellaris hyperdrive mechanics take more inspiration from Star Wars, but I want to incorporate some Stargate mechanics into my story
Han is more focused on the Crusader garrisons in eastern Yavdi for now, but once those are dealt with, he wouldn't be opposed to taking out Yavdi and securing a buffer between China and Jerusalem-occupied Russia.Also, Gunduz mentioned China attaching Yavadi now, which makes me both curious and worried about what Han would do should he capture the Hohenzollerns, considering he’s hostile to both Jerusalem and the loyalists due to Sinocentrism.
I really subverted expectations there with the Dandolos, huh?
I do not like Henrich getting less and less information in the meetings. That can't be good for his future.
Je suis désolé
Central France - November 22
Tania looked through her scope, watching the guards patrol the facility.
“What do you make of it?” Angelica said.
“I can’t tell from here,” Tania said, “Doesn’t look like the usual camp.”
“Does it matter, though?” Angelica said. “It’s a camp.”
“Well, it would be nice if we knew what we’re dealing with,” Tania said.
“So I believe a frontal assault is out of the question,” Billy said.
“Yeah,” Angelica said, “We don’t know what’s in there. We’ll have to infiltrate.”
“Which is my specialty,” Ruby said, “No offense, Billy, but your build makes you stand out.”
“I know,” Billy said, “I’ll secure an escape route.”
“I’ll keep watch out here,” Tania said.
“We’ll head in and see if there’s anything inside,” Angelica said.
“What should be our goal?” Ruby said. “Kill a target? Destroy stuff? Extraction?”
“Just gather intel, for now,” Angelica said.
---
Angelica and Ruby used the tree cover to get close to the fence surrounding the facility.
“Okay, there should be a blind spot in the security cameras up ahead,” Tania radioed, “Patrols can’t cover this angle too.”
“Got it,” Angelica said, “Ruby, cut us a hole.”
Ruby crept up to the fence and cut a hole in the wiring with a fence cutter.
“And we’re in,” she said.
They climbed through the hole and entered the facility. Angelica scanned the area, trying to see what the layout was like. It was like a barracks, with multiple single-story buildings arranged in a neat grid, but there was a larger building in the center.
“Let’s head for the one in the middle,” Angelica said.
Using vehicles and large crates for cover from the roaming patrols, they slowly advanced. Ruby adopted a faster and stealthier approach, going on ahead to see where the patrols and cameras were located, then waved Angelica over. Angelica herself wasn’t exactly stealthy, but Ruby handle most of the work. They regrouped by the wall of the center building, under a window.
“Okay,” Angelica said, “There’s a vent up there we can use to sneak in.”
“The vents can’t support our weight,” Ruby said, “It’s not like the movies.”
“Alright, backup plan, we use the window,” Angelica said.
Ruby peered over the edge of the window.
“Looks like a storage area,” she said, “No cameras. Think we can make this work.”
After picking the lock, she opened the window, and they climbed into the storage room. While Ruby closed the window behind them, Angelica walked around the room. It felt slightly colder in here than usual. Yes, it was late November, but this wasn’t room temperature either. The boxes in here were plastic, with metal lids. Angelica opened one of the boxes. Inside was what looked like medical supplies.
“Syringes, centrifuges…full hazmat suits?” Angelica said. “Qu’est-ce que putain de quoi?”
“So this is a medical facility of some kind,” Ruby said.
“I have a feeling this isn’t your average hospital,” Angelica said.
Ruby crept over to the door and slightly creaked it open. Outside, people were walking around in hazmat suits.
“I have an idea,” Ruby said, “Get the hazmat suits.”
After putting on the suits, they entered the hallway, easily blending in with the others.
“Any idea where we’re going?” Ruby whispered.
“I thought you knew,” Angelica whispered back, “You suggested this.”
“I only suggested the suits,” Ruby said, “I thought you knew where.”
“Okay, okay,” Angelica said, “Let’s just…look around, I guess.”
There was a door up ahead, so Angelica opened it and went inside. Here, the temperature suddenly dropped even more, now feeling very cold. This room had one large freezer.
“Freezers now?” Ruby said. “What could they be freezing?”
“Biological samples, I bet,” Angelica said.
She peered into the freezer and read the vials. Then her eyes widened, and she recoiled.
“Merde!” she cursed.
“What is it?” Ruby said.
“These samples…they’re not just any samples,” she said, “They’re smallpox.”
“Smallpox?” Ruby said.
“Yeah, says right there,” Angelica said, “Uh…‘Variola Major Pesah’. Why’d they add ‘Pesah’? Unless…”
She suddenly realized why. Her face paled.
“Oh…no…” she said.
Pesah was a reference to Passover.
“You’re not saying they…enhanced it?” Ruby said.
“If so, then normal vaccines might not cover it,” Angelica said, “And if they’re storing it here…”
“They’re planning on releasing it,” Ruby realized.
A scream echoed through the wall. It was of a man who sounded like he was in intense pain. Angelica ran out of the room and into the one next to it, stopping and backing out the doorway when she realized it was filled with people chained to their beds and hooked up to life support. They were male and female, old and young, but all were covered in the recognizable rashes common in old pictures of smallpox victims before the virus was eradicated. The rashes, though, looked redder and larger than in those pictures, and the man was screaming like his entire body was burning. The others were struggling to free themselves, but their vocalizations were just murmurs, fragments in French, or quiet prayers.
“Quelle horreur,” Angelica said, “Why would they…do this?”
She didn’t know what to do. She was still trying to process what she had just learned. Did the committee really intend to unleash this plague on the whole world? Millions could die like, just like the people in this room. She couldn’t let that happen. Who else knew about this? Did Schengen know? They had to know. Or else this war would be as good as lost.
“We have to stop this,” she told herself.
And it began with this facility. They had to set back everything. The samples, the equipment…the victims. Looking at the life support power cables, she knew what she had to do.
“Je suis désolé,” she said, “I’ll end your suffering soon, my brothers and sisters.”
A few minutes later, Angelica returned to the storage room.
“What did you find?” Ruby said.
“A…complication,” Angelica said, “I’ll explain the details later. Suffice it to say I think the Crusaders should be coming after us in…right now.”
“What the infern did you do?!” Ruby said.
Angelica grabbed a smallpox sample vial and stuffed it in her pocket. When she couldn’t find a power cable to unplug, she took a grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it into the freezer.
“Run!” she said.
They ran out of the room just as the grenade exploded, destroying the samples. Alarms blared, and Crusaders began pouring into the hallway.
“Go!” she said.
Ruby pulled out a gun and began shooting. Angelica’s walkie-talkie buzzed.
“What the hell is going on down there?!” Billy said.
“Gonna need that escape route!” Angelica said.
They ran out of the building and headed for the hole in the fence. More Crusaders began charging at them from all sides, while drones and machine gun turrets opened fire, raking the ground around them with bullets. Seconds later, Tania began shooting to cover their escape.
“I don’t have an infinite supply of these, so hurry up!” she said.
They climbed through the hole in the fence and ran back into the woods, soon meeting up with Billy and Tania.
“Didn’t you say it was an infiltration mission?” Billy said.
“Well, the objective changed,” Angelica said, “By the way, do you have a freezer?”
“What for?” Billy said.
Angelica took out the smallpox vial. “We need to get this to Schengen as soon as possible. It could change everything.”
They heard shouts from behind them. Angelica pocketed the vial.
“I’ll explain later,” she said, “Let’s get out of here first!”
Tsarberg forward operating base - November 23
Theodor paced around the briefing tent.
“I hate Russia,” he said, “It’s so cold.”
“Nothing said you have to be here,” Elias said, “I’m not stopping you from going home.”
“True,” Theodor said, “But I want to see the campaign up close. This is the perfect time to gather data for the next models of Panopticons and Hellhounds.”
“Do you want to observe the Lithuanian front, then?” Elias said. “We’re doing quite well in Vilnius and Riga.”
“Can I at least gas Riga some more?” Theodor said.
“We’ve used enough there,” Elias said, “We need to save our stockpile for further uses.”
“Lame,” Theodor said, “I heard Russian Army remnants have reinforced Bradziunas in Vilnius.”
“That’s more because they’re desperate,” Elias said, “Their major cities are irradiated ruins. Their industry is gone. Their government surrendered. They have nowhere to go.”
“I’ll retask a few divisions to mop them up,” Theodor said, “We’ll have to watch India too. They’ve gained ground in Delhi.”
“Our positions are stable there,” Elias said, “We’ll be fine. And if not…you’ll get clearance.”
“Really?” Theodor said. “About time.”
“On to more pressing matters,” Elias said, “Have you tracked the path of the ex-princess’ plane?”
“My drones have reported back,” Theodor said, “We believe she landed somewhere in the Urals. We’re not quite sure where. As soon as we secure western Yavdi, we’ll send scouts in.”
“Too long,” Elias said, “She’ll be long gone by then. We need results now.”
“That’s all I can promise,” Theodor said, “We can’t really do much more.”
“Well, figure something out,” Elias said, “I will not be denied my justice.”
A Crusader ran into the tent and saluted, then handed a report to Theodor. Theodor quickly scanned the first page.
“Wait…what?!” he said. “They hit Research Lab 35?!”
“What happened?” Elias said.
“Some Gallian rebels attacked Research Lab 35,” Theodor said, “They destroyed our Pesah weapon samples there and neutralized our test subjects.”
“Will that set back your plans?” Elias said.
“We still have stockpiles from labs 43-105,” Theodor said, “But the fact the rebels attacked in the first place is concerning. If word gets out…”
“Make sure word doesn’t get out,” Elias said, “Find those rebels and destroy them.”
“Already on it,” Theodor said.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Elias said.
“Yeah?” Theodor said.
“This does not mean I condone that little project of yours,” Elias said, “We are only to use it when absolutely necessary.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Theodor said.
He left the tent. Elias sat down to relax, but he couldn’t when he noticed a familiar reflection in his phone’s dark screen.
“Ellie,” he said, “Why are you still following me like this? Are you watching me?”
Ellie said nothing.
“Protecting me?” he said. “That’s got to be it. You’re making sure no harm comes to me, so I can carry out your last wishes.”
Ellie still said nothing.
“It’s okay, don’t say anything,” Elias said, “I swear, I’m going to finish what you started. Soon, all of the people responsible for killing you—the damned Hohenzollern tyrants most of all—will be given the justice they deserve.”
- 2
Yeah, making an incredibly dangerous disease even stronger is about as big a sign that our heroes need to speed up as we can get at this point.
The clock is ticking indeed, especially if Theodor decides that it's time to unleash the pox on everybody, Elias' orders be damned.
And we're only three weeks into the war.
nervously sweats in XA-1005C
Well shoot. @TheAnguishedOne and @TWR97 are right in that our heroes do need to steep up their game if the Free World is going to win this. I do wonder how Angelica and her group will be able to get the samples to Schengen since Russia has surrendered, Livonia is pretty much just Riga now, there is a whole lot of Crusaders between them and Yavdi and Persia being to far away?
So douse that mean that Theodor still has about 62 labs of this stuff?
Also since he started at 43 were are labs 1-43?Keep telling yourself that Elias.
Well...Persia is really their only option now...
I didn't think too much about labs 1-42 but they presumably have other crazy experimental weapons of some sort.So douse that mean that Theodor still has about 62 labs of this stuff?
Elias is losing it.Keep telling yourself that Elias.
I'm guessing Angelica put those "test subjects" out of their misery there. Really gives me Unit 731 vibes there. For I second I was also worried we'd see some harvested organs in that camp as well due to the freezers. Hopefully Angelica and her group are able to stop more attorcirites from occuring in these camps and let Schengen know of the Annionaverse smallpox virus, particularly Alex and Thea's group considering they know about the Annionaverse.
I think it’s inevitable Elias will lose what little sanity he has left and let Theodor unleash the smallpox virus, given the previous times Elias was against Theodor’s WMDs and nukes and, well we all know what happened.
The fact Elias is now taking comfort in Ellie’s ghost worries me, considering I know how Taboritsky’s story in TNO plays out. Now I’m starting to wonder what Elias‘ own version of Midnight would be like.
Verify your clock intensifies.
I think it’s inevitable Elias will lose what little sanity he has left and let Theodor unleash the smallpox virus, given the previous times Elias was against Theodor’s WMDs and nukes and, well we all know what happened.
The fact Elias is now taking comfort in Ellie’s ghost worries me, considering I know how Taboritsky’s story in TNO plays out. Now I’m starting to wonder what Elias‘ own version of Midnight would be like.
Yeah, she did mercy kill them all. I did imagine there would be involuntary organ harvesting done in some of the camps as well (as is happening in China in real life) but didn't put it here because it messed with the flow and I already had enough trouble writing this update and several others in this batch.
Angelica better get moving, because Alex and Thea's group is probably the only group in a position to do anything with the sample, and after her stunt, she will have the entire Crusader army going after her now.
Midnight intensifies
What makes you think he's going to let Theodor unleash it and not release it himself once he gets there?
Oh no.The fact Elias is now taking comfort in Ellie’s ghost worries me, considering I know how Taboritsky’s story in TNO plays out. Now I’m starting to wonder what Elias‘ own version of Midnight would be like.
Reprieve
Ilmarisen Takomo - November 24
There was a small meadow just outside the bunker, between the end of the hangar runway and a large cliff. It wasn’t anything special—just a field of flowers, grass, and some trees—but it was greenery, and it had a magnificent view of the Urals and the deep valley below them. That was good enough for the kids. Friedrich and Ilyana were again playing tag among the trees.
“Tag!” Ilyana shouted.
“You didn’t touch me!” Friedrich said.
“Yes I did!” Ilyana said. “I felt it!”
“Did not!” Friedrich said.
“But I FELT it!” Ilyana said.
Friedrich sighed. “Fine! We’ll do that round over again!”
“Yay!” Ilyana said.
“Sophie, do you want to tell Friedrich to stand for himself?” Wilhelmina said.
“Nah,” Sophie said, “Ilyana was clearly touching him. And he has to learn to always keep the girl he likes happy.”
“He…likes her?” Wilhelmina said.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Sophie said. “Why else do they always hang out?”
“It’s probably a phase,” Wilhelmina said, “They’re kids. This sort of stuff happens.”
“Perhaps,” Sophie said, “I would know.”
“Did you have someone you loved?” Wilhelmina said.
“Once,” Sophie said, “When I was young. They were taken from me, because I was a coward.”
“Because you fled?” Wilhelmina said.
“Exactly,” Sophie said, “If only I stood my ground, maybe I could have saved them. Wilhelmina, please stand your ground when your own loved ones are in danger. Stand up for them, when I couldn’t have for my own.”
“That’s weird,” Wilhelmina said, “I was under the impression that I had to not attach myself to my family in times of danger.”
“Oh, no, not that,” Sophie said, “That meditation session you told me about? It’s about not being overly dependent on or attached to your loved ones that it clouds your judgment and becomes your weakness. As a Kaiser, your duty is to the people as a whole, not just your family.”
“I see,” Wilhelmina said.
“Not to say you should leave them to their fate,” Sophie said, “Your family is worth protecting, in the end. Not because they’re of royal lineage, but because they’re people. Because they are your family.”
They looked at Friedrich.
“Look at him, so happy,” Sophie said, “He deserves a life of peace.”
“And I’ll make sure he gets one,” Wilhelmina said, “Committee be damned.”
“So what will you do?” Sophie said.
“Once the situation improves, I think I’ll head down to Persia,” Wilhelmina said, “They’re relatively intact. Heard they escaped the nukes almost completely unscathed. I know my old friend Alexandra Hansen is there. I always encouraged her to reach out to me if she needed to. Maybe it should have been the other way around. Me reaching out to her.”
“Good idea,” Sophie said.
They continued watching the kids play. Joseph and Vasily, who had been sitting next to Wilhelmina and Sophie, started speaking up.
“I’m amazed by how energetic Ilyana is,” Joseph said, “My son was very quiet these last couple weeks since we left Tsarberg, but Ilyana hasn’t changed one bit.”
“That’s Ilyana for you,” Vasily said, “She’s always been like this. Ever since her parents died.”
Joseph looked at Vasily. “Is that why…”
“My daughter and her husband died when Ilyana was four,” Vasily said, “Car accident. They were driving to pick Ilyana up from the daycare, when a drunk driver slammed into her. Guy sped away before anyone could identify him. Doctors couldn’t save her. Ilyana waited at the door of the daycare for hours, not knowing what happened to her parents.”
“That’s terrible,” Joseph said.
“Ilyana changed after that,” Vasily said, “When I went to take her in, I found a little girl who was always cheerful, smiling, and asking questions about everything. At first, it was a little unsettling. Because why would a girl who had lost her parents still be happy? Then I realized.”
“Realized what?” Joseph said.
“That she is making herself stay happy—and in control all the time—to distract from the fact that she lost her parents and could do nothing but wait,” Vasily said.
“I can sympathize with that,” Wilhelmina said, “Many times, I’ve been unable to do anything but watch as bad things happen to my friends and family. I know what it’s like to be afraid and helpless. And I would do anything to avoid that. Including distracting myself from it. For the longest time, I tried to forget my own parents’ deaths. But I knew I couldn’t do it forever.”
“Friedrich didn’t take the loss of his mother well,” Joseph said, “He’s doing better now, but without Lisa…it’s been rough.”
“He’s lucky he still has a parent,” Vasily said, “Unlike Ilyana.”
“Ilyana is doing well right now,” Joseph said.
“But it’s not healthy for her to cover up her trauma like this,” Wilhelmina said, “She can’t keep it up forever.”
“I know, but now is not a good time to work on her trauma,” Vasily said, “Things are already frakked up enough as they are.”
“I sure hope we find a good time to talk it through, then,” Wilhelmina said.
At that moment, both kids ran around the tree from different sides and slammed into each other, falling onto their backs.
“Tag!” Friedrich shouted.
“Not fair!” Ilyana said.
“I clearly touched you!” Friedrich said.
“We hit each other!” Ilyana said. “You have to use your HANDS!”
“No, that counts!” Friedrich said. “You can’t argue with that!”
“See?” Sophie said. “Kid can stand up for himself when it really counts.”
Kaiserliche Luftwaffe Angel airbase (formerly Rogneda International Airport), Tsarberg - November 25
Gertrude stepped out of the plane, and her shoes touched down on the airport tarmac. The Crusaders flanking her did not salute. They were probably there to make sure she didn’t go anywhere unscheduled. Which suited her just fine. All she needed was to be with Elias. Who was right in front of her.
“Hello,” he said, “Welcome to Russia.”
“A little colder than I expected,” Gertrude said.
“What were you expecting, the jungles of Neurhomania?” Elias said. “Anyways, I didn’t expect you to come here.”
“I didn’t expect you to not invite me,” Gertrude said.
“The capture of Tsarberg was a highly classified and sensitive operation,” Elias said, “I didn’t want to risk compromising it or putting you in danger.”
Compromising the mission, sure. Putting her in danger? That was just a lie.
“Well, I assume the danger has passed by now,” Gertrude said, “Should be safe for me.”
“Presumably,” Elias said, “I would show you around the sights, but we kind of…blew up half the city during the operation.”
“That’s okay,” Gertrude said, “You’re going to tear down the other half anyways, aren’t you?”
“That was never in doubt,” Elias said.
“No use taking me on a tour of something that will be destroyed anyways, then,” Gertrude said, “I know, why not show me the place? I’d like to see our brave men in uniform.”
“We can arrange for that,” Elias said.
They began walking around the base.
“What’s the next step, after Tsarberg?” Gertrude said. “Surely you’ll have to pacify resistance in the rest of the country.”
“Nothing my Crusaders can’t handle,” Elias said, “Those barbarians can’t hope to stand against the best and strongest men Christendom has to offer. I’m more concerned with hunting down the ex-princess at the moment.”
“The ex-princess?” Gertrude said.
“Yes, she has been a nuisance to our cause for many years now,” Elias said, “It’s time we hunther down and end her. Without her to rally around, the resistance will collapse, and our revenge will be complete.”
“Shouldn’t we be focused on…you know, the Russians still fighting against us?” Gertrude said. “On the way here, I heard fifty Russian brigades were heading towards Königsberg.”
“They are of no consequence,” Elias said, “The border defenses will slaughter them all.”
“It’s your home, Elias!” Gertrude said. “We have to stop them!”
“Our priority is killing the ex-princess,” Elias said.
What had gotten into him? He was never like this before. Was he really so obsessed with killing that woman that he would let his hometown burn?
“Elias, she’s just one old woman,” Gertrude said, “She doesn’t even have that many supporters left. You killed her biggest ally two weeks ago.”
“But she’s still alive,” Elias said, “I can feel it. Even if I don’t know where she is. As long as she is alive, everything we’ve fought for—everything Ellie died for—can be torn down. We must not allow it.”
Yes, he was that obsessed. Even at the expense of the rest of the war. Fortunately, that was a good thing for everyone else. Anti-Jerusalem forces would stand a chance. Heinrich would have time to consolidate his forces.
“Yeah, sure,” Gertrude said, “Of course.”
“Rest assured, we will make her proud,” Elias said.
Oh, Gertrude definitely would at least try to.
---
Funny enough, the change in upload schedule has resulted in these updates still lining up with real life dates.
- 2
I do love these calm updates in between all the chaos.
I wonder who Sophie is talking about? Unless we already know and I have just forgot.
I wonder if Wilhelmina is saying this because she sees a little of herself in Ilyana in how Ilyana needs to one day face her demons like Wilhelmina is starting to now?