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The Siege of Tsarberg
Tsarberg - November 8, early morning
Olga, Wilhelmina, and Sophie rushed through the bunker. Olga went ahead first, gun ready, while Sophie brought up the rear. Wilhelmina just nervously huddled behind Olga. Where were the other soldiers in the bunker?
“There’s only one hallway in and out from our place,” Sophie said, “They’d be guarding the entrance to the hallway.”
Olga reached the door to the outer bunker. Her flashlight illuminated wisps of gas coming through the gaps.
“Chlorine gas,” she said, “We need gas masks.”
“Do we have any?” Wilhelmina said.
“Yes, we do,” Olga said, “All bunkers have countermeasures against all sorts of attacks, including chemical ones.”
She walked over to a nearby closet and took out gas masks, handing one to Wilhelmina.
“I was expecting them to use sarin gas,” Olga said, “But they want you alive.”
They put on the gas masks, Wilhelmina struggling to fit them over her glasses. Once they were secured, Olga opened the door. Outside, Wilhelmina finally saw the Russian soldiers she was looking for. They were all dead. The room was dimly lit by alarm lights, with the klaxons still blaring in the distance. Everything had a slightly green tint as a result of the chlorine gas.
“How’d they get the gas in here?” Wilhelmina said.
“They must have found the vents,” Olga said, “The inner bunker we were in has more advanced air filtration systems, which would explain why we didn’t notice anything.”
“How’d they find the vents?” Wilhelmina said.
“The Shepherds of the Future,” Olga realized, “They were spies as well as missionaries. I should have seen that coming.”
Suddenly, they saw shapes moving through the foggy room. Olga pointed her gun and gauntlet at them.
“Identify yourselves!” she said.
The shapes grew clearer, revealing they were masked Russian soldiers who put their hands up.
“We’re friendly,” one said, “General Kadyrov, 10th Infantry Division. I’m relieved to see you, ma’am.”
“I need a status report, now,” Olga said, “Where is the rest of my cabinet?”
“Either evacuated or missing,” Kadyrov said, “You’re the last one.”
“And the enemy?” Olga said.
“Jerusalem has launched a simultaneous pincer attack,” Kadyrov said, “A fleet is shelling the coastal neighborhoods to provide cover for an amphibious assault, while ground forces are attacking from the south. Paratroopers are dropping all over the city. Our troops and the police are trying to regain control, but we’re spread too thin.”
“Focus on evacuating any remaining citizens,” Olga said, “Form a defensive perimeter around the airfield we discussed.”
“I’ll issue the order as soon as I can,” Kadyrov said.
“How can you do that if your frequencies are jammed?” Wilhelmina said.
Kadyrov took out a special flare gun. “This gun fires a blue flare. I’ve told my troops to retreat to the airfield and focus on evacuations if they see it fired. Not sure about the other divisions, but there’s only so much I can do.”
“Get it done as soon as possible,” Olga said, “We’re going on ahead to the airfield.”
“Understood,” Kadyrov said, “We’ll cover you.”
Kadyrov and his men cautiously approached the front door of the bunker, while Olga, Wilhelmina, and Sophie hung back. With their guns ready, Kadyrov counted down from three, and then they opened the door. One soldier tossed a grenade through the opening, and Crusaders waiting in ambush on the other side were caught in the blast. Gaining the advantage, the Russians charged through and easily defeated their enemies. With their path cleared, they walked through the living room of Wilhelmina’s residence. The place was a mess, thanks to the Crusaders ransacking everything to find the bunker entrance and the air vents. They’d even gone way out of their way to particularly smash all of her video games, movie and show DVDs, the TV itself, and her game consoles, the monsters. This had been her home for the last three years, but now it was time to leave. She had no time to grab anything other than her spare pair of glasses. Not that she had much here to begin with, or anything that wasn’t destroyed. They reached the front door, and Kadyrov repeated the same tactic as before. After getting in position, they prepared to open the door, only for a hail of bullets to tear through the walls and door and cut down several of them.
“Yebat!” Kadyrov said. “Return fire!”
They opened the door to get a view of the enemy positions. The Crusaders waiting on the street had set up an ambush for them, taking shots from behind lines of sandbags. From the look of their gear, it seemed they had just parachuted in. Although the Russians slowly advanced, running from inside the house to take cover behind abandoned cars, they took heavy casualties. As soon as he saw an opening, Kadyrov raised the flare gun and fired it. The street was briefly illuminated by the blue flare rising into the night sky.
“We’ll hold them off!” Kadyrov said. “You get out of—”
At that moment, a tank shell obliterated him. A Crusader tank rolled into view and opened fire with its machine guns.
“We won’t make it to the car and off the block with that tank on the field,” Sophie said.
“So is this the end?” Wilhelmina said.
Olga, though, put a second gauntlet on her left wrist. “No. It ends when I say it does.”
“Olga, no!” Wilhelmina said.
But the chancellor was already charging into the fray. For a seventy-year-old woman, Olga moved like someone half her age. She fired her right gauntlet, stabbing a Crusader through his gun into his chest, before pulling the cable out and swinging it to the right, taking out the two Crusaders next to him. Using the momentum from the swing, she fired her left gauntlet at an out of commission streetlight and ripped it out of the ground, letting the pole strike another group of Crusaders from behind. Retracting both cables, she turned her attention on the tank and the reinforcements it brought. The Crusaders knelt to take up firing positions, but Olga was already on top of them. She fired both gauntlets straight ahead, letting the cables wrap around two Crusaders in the back and then swinging outward, making them crash into their comrades to their right and left. Their aim thrown off, the first volley of bullets only struck the surrounding cars and storefronts. She retracted the cables and fired again, this time grabbing the barrels of two Crusaders’ guns and pointing them at each other just as they fired. By now, she was too close to make good use of her gauntlets, so she retracted them and drew her pistol. Wilhelmina could barely see Olga’s movements—she was moving too fast—but could barely make out some expertly placed punches and kicks, as well as almost impossible gunshots. In seconds, most of the Crusaders were on the ground. One of the defeated soldiers got to his feet and readied his rifle to shoot Olga in the back. Wilhelmina opened her mouth to warn Olga, but Olga had already pulled out her gun to blindly shoot him in the head. That done, she climbed onto the tank before it could fire with its turrets, pried open the escape hatch, and tossed a grenade inside. Then she jumped off and took cover behind a car just as it exploded.
“I didn’t think she could still do that,” Wilhelmina said, “Especially at this hour.”
“She’s the KGB’s best,” Sophie said, “She still has it. Even at 70.”
With the street quiet again, Olga walked back over to Wilhelmina and Sophie.
“Well, that took a little longer than expected,” she said, “Let’s get going now. Any car will do.”
Most of the cars on the street were destroyed or otherwise unusable, including the one that was in their original plan. The only one that looked drivable was…
“A Trabant 601,” Olga said, “I didn’t think anyone still drove these.”
“You know this model?” Wilhelmina said.
“Of course I do,” Olga said, “They drove them all the time in the Occupied Territories. My moms drove them a lot for their spy work. I drove a few of them myself. Always hated them because they had a tendency for their steering wheels to come off and the whole thing to explode at the slightest provocation.”
“What was that?” Sophie said.
“But they should have fixed that issue by now,” Olga said, “Let’s get in. I can hot-wire it.”
They got into the car. The interior was cramped, and Wilhelmina instantly hated the dull and drab color scheme. Olga got behind the wheel and began fiddling with the ignition.
“Come on,” she said, “Work, you spark plug with a roof…”
The engine finally roared to life.
“Finally, we’re in business!” Olga said. “Although this car doesn’t really go that fast. You could probably catch it with chewing gum.”
“Are you serious?” Wilhelmina said.
“We don’t have a choice, so it’ll have to do,” Olga said, “I hope the steering wheel doesn’t fall off. And the gearbox works.”
She drove off.
---
Yep, I brought back everyone’s favorite East German gag, the Trabant, as well as a few period-accurate Trabant jokes.
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That car is just too stubborn to be destroyed so easily, seems fitting that another version of it is being used by the old Firebird and her allies. Also damn, Olga still got it even if age really has caught up with her. Though part of me dreads on when they get to that airport, especially when Elias and his gang of murderers seem to be fast approaching. I just dread the coming updates, it's gonna be gut wrenching.
Well there goes that character.
Sounds like my dog. I've had her since 2010 and she still runs around like she is a puppy.
I agree. I am dreading those parts as well.
Nice to see Olga is still living up to her firebird title even at the age of 70. Hopefully Olga's skills will be enough to fight off Elias' men and get Wilhelmina, Sophie and herself to safety. Funny to see her run into a Trabant decades after the end of the CSSR.
So Jerusalem is using chemical weapons now, that doesn't bode well since they are already using nuclear weapons and SVI to an insane degree. That's not even mentioning Theodor's access to the Annionaverse smallpox virus and other chemical/biological weapons. I swear half the Earth will be uninhabitable by the time this war is over. Elias is really living up to TNO Taboritsky's insanity.
You ever get the feeling that the early Kaisers of the 11th/12th century really hated Slavs and Eastern Europeans to a genocidal degree, hence the concentrated efforts by both the German and Greek nobles to supplant cultures like the Poles, South Slavs in the Balkans, Romanians, Hungarians Czechs and Slovaks? Doesn't bode well for when Jerusalem conquers Russia doesn't it. Guess Medieval Lithuania was lucky it was just a tributary state and the Lithuanians in Egypt didn't suffer from the aggressive assimilation programs of the 12th century.
I remember you mentioning in HOI3 how Saint Gunhilda as an angel processed the Finnish sniper Simo Haya and various female snipers on the Eastern front of WW2 in TTL and fought both the Soviets and Angeloi, and after reading that again recently I feel like that would make for a cool one off/mini arc, especially if you tie it into the Worm Cult and Gunhilda's relationship with Saint Wilhelmina, maybe with connections to a related mini arc involving the time when Victoria Louise was a vessel for Saint Wilhelmina's angel and the reactions Saint Wihelmina could have to the Angeloi committing atrocities against blameless people like Muslims and Poles in her name.
So Jerusalem is using chemical weapons now, that doesn't bode well since they are already using nuclear weapons and SVI to an insane degree. That's not even mentioning Theodor's access to the Annionaverse smallpox virus and other chemical/biological weapons. I swear half the Earth will be uninhabitable by the time this war is over. Elias is really living up to TNO Taboritsky's insanity.
Oof, that's unfortunate, especially since Jerusalem has likely destroyed all the Antique shops for games and DVDs by this point. Future generations will have quite boring lives with no forms of art and entertainment around due to 21st century iconoclastic regimes like Jerusalem, Han's China and Hindutva India and won't they.
You ever get the feeling that the early Kaisers of the 11th/12th century really hated Slavs and Eastern Europeans to a genocidal degree, hence the concentrated efforts by both the German and Greek nobles to supplant cultures like the Poles, South Slavs in the Balkans, Romanians, Hungarians Czechs and Slovaks? Doesn't bode well for when Jerusalem conquers Russia doesn't it. Guess Medieval Lithuania was lucky it was just a tributary state and the Lithuanians in Egypt didn't suffer from the aggressive assimilation programs of the 12th century.
I remember you mentioning in HOI3 how Saint Gunhilda as an angel processed the Finnish sniper Simo Haya and various female snipers on the Eastern front of WW2 in TTL and fought both the Soviets and Angeloi, and after reading that again recently I feel like that would make for a cool one off/mini arc, especially if you tie it into the Worm Cult and Gunhilda's relationship with Saint Wilhelmina, maybe with connections to a related mini arc involving the time when Victoria Louise was a vessel for Saint Wilhelmina's angel and the reactions Saint Wihelmina could have to the Angeloi committing atrocities against blameless people like Muslims and Poles in her name.
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One last hurrah from one veteran of the Cold War to another. The Trabant is simply too angry to die except on its own terms.
We hardly knew him.
Dread it. Run from it. (the rest of the reference doesn’t fit)
Hopefully, she can.
Has been using them since North Eimerica. Elias has really gone full Taboritsky.
I hope the minor nations of the world don’t suffer the same fate. It’s now up to them to preserve the culture nobody else wants.
Russia is doubly screwed because Elias now associates Russian civilization itself with equalism and barbarism and thus hates it all on a personal level too.
The Lithuanians got off lucky centuries ago, but probably not nowadays…
I like that idea. Remind me again in a couple days when I come back from vacation so I can think about it in more detail.
No its Summer and when ever I see her run despite her age it makes me hope I am still able to move like that when I am older.
Although I do dread the upcoming parts I am a bit curious on the characters you will introduce to replace the ones we lose in this arc like Shahbanu Gunduz II.
Hopefully Russia and the rest of Schengen can pull off a good fight against Jerusalem, as those nations weren't nuked like non Schengen nations such as the Eimericas and China. Otherwise if Jerusalem wins and conquers the planet, well I think a clock will start ticking towards midnight if you know what I mean.
The Antras Sansas community in particular might be screwed as Jerusalem would certainly view them as heretics. Then again, Jerusalem probably hates every country in the world, in particulary the Eimericans, China and its immediate neighbors like Persia, Scandinavia and Russia for being non Christians. The rest of the world really is in a struggle for survival against the Committee's madness now.
Agreed, especially since some nations like Scandinavia and the Eimericas are effectively leaderless now. I'm curious to see how the Sinosphere and the Asian Pacific story will go with Tsai dead and nobody to challenge Han and Zhao now, curious and worried now.
At least the Hindutuvas are dead now, through India certainly is in no shape to fight against Jerusalem now with all the nukes. Then again, no one else is.
I'll try to remember that.
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That’s nice. My cousin had a dog who was still very active despite being very old. Unfortunately, we lost her last year.
I’m going to be introducing one new character very soon, and I bet you’ll all like what he brings to the cast.
Actually, every single non-Jerusalem allied nation in the world except Persia and one other (I won’t mention them yet because they are irrelevant) got nuked. Persia only survived because it managed to shoot down all of its nukes. Russia and all of the other Schengen members were nuked. It’s just that Tsarberg was spared because of Wilhelmina. The clock’s already at midnight…but it can go even further.
Yes, Jerusalem no longer sees the other nations as either enemies or allies, but categorizes them by how much it hates them. Penglai, southern Japan, and Nepal are least hated because they supported Jerusalem for a while now, but that merely means they will be the last to be attacked. On the other end, there’s Russia, which Elias considers not only an existential threat to Christendom but also a personal enemy he must completely destroy as soon as possible.
Any minority, especially a religious minority, would be an easy and prioritized target for Elias. There can only be one faith for him.
I have something very exciting planned for the Pacific front in the chapter after the next one. That story hugely benefited from my new chapter format.
India is probably in the worst shape to fight Jerusalem out of any country. Not only did almost all of its major cities got nuked with Jerusalem’s most powerful warheads and its civilian government (even if it was a Hindutva quasi-dictatorship) has been wiped out, but it also still has those garrisons from four years ago, including one in Delhi. And they’ve all just gone on the offensive.
I love Olga still being a constant force on the battlefield, and I suspect she'll remain one until she's done all she can.
At least she’s in a better place now.
Even at 70, nothing can stop Olga in battle.
How low is the Earth's population at this point, and would it realistically recover by 2200 (unless at the Stellaris stage Earth would have less than 24 default POPs)? Also, are the nuclear strikes of Roman/Jerusalem's own cities (that happened earlier) only in the story, or they're present in game as well?
It was about 6-7 billion at the start of 2038, but after this attack it has dropped to 5-6 billion as 800+ million died in the nuclear attack and many more would die in the following days. Recovery to prewar levels would depend on how the war ends, but it’s not impossible. The nuclear attacks of 2037 are purely story side as they came long after I had played that part and I wanted to flesh out the story in that part (it was very barebones).
Don’t Forget Me
Eastern Tsarberg - November 8, 2038
The sky was getting lighter now, despite the thick clouds hanging over the city. It was almost daybreak, and with it any hopes of escaping under the cover of night were slipping away. Olga drove onto the airfield and parked near a hangar. Inside, several small private jets were parked. A detachment of Russian soldiers guarded them.
“Well, we made it here in one piece,” Olga said, “Guess this old Trabi isn’t all bad.”
They got out and entered the hangar. A general approached and saluted to Olga and Wilhelmina.
“I’m General Dukhovsky,” he said, “I saw Kadyrov’s flare and noticed his men were retreating, so we did as well.”
“Has the perimeter been set up?” Olga said.
“We’re still in the middle of it,” Dukhovsky said, “The order was ordered so suddenly, and not everyone got it. We’ve lost contact with every unit in the western and southern neighborhoods. I assume they’ve surrendered or been destroyed. We’re doing the best we can with anybody who made it here, but we’re teetering on total collapse. I doubt we can last to the end of the day.”
“Focus on getting these birds airborne,” Olga said, “And defending them until the escort fighters are in place.”
“Understood, ma’am,” Dukhovsky said.
“Well, Willie?” Olga said.
Wilhelmina got in the plane first. After everyone was seated, Olga went to get in, but at that moment, she heard an explosion. A sniper ran up to her and Dukhovsky.
“The Crusaders, sir! They’ve broken through the southern perimeter!”
“The one we’re still fortifying?” Dukhovsky said.
“Yes! And not just any Crusaders…Argus!”
“Argus,” Olga said, “Frak. This is bad.”
“We’re holding them off as best as we can, but we’re taking heavy casualties already.”
“They want to take the airfield,” Olga said, “And capture you. We need to get you in the air as soon as possible, Willie. General Dukhovsky?”
“Yes, ma’am?” Dukhovsky said.
“Launch the decoys,” Olga said.
“You heard her!” Dukhovsky said to the decoy pilots.
The first plane rolled out of the hangar, only to be instantly destroyed by an RPG. A second one met the same fate.
“Frak, we’re sitting ducks outside the hangar,” Olga said.
“We’ll hold them off,” Dukhovsky said, “You just focus on—”
At that moment, an enemy sniper shot him in the head, and he crumpled to the ground. Olga and the Russian sniper retreated inside the hangar.
“This is bad!” the soldier said. “What do we do?”
“Let me think,” Olga said.
“Olga, we should go!” Wilhelmina said. “They won’t kill me. I can get out of here.”
“But they don’t know you’re here!” Olga said. “They’ll shoot anything coming out. And I can’t see where they’re firing the rockets from. You won’t have enough time to take off. Unless…”
She realized what she had to do. Wilhelmina also realized it.
(2:00-3:10)
“No,” Wilhelmina said, “Olga, don’t do it.”
“There’s no choice,” Olga said.
She wistfully looked back at Wilhelmina, then hardened her face with determination.
“Whatever happens to me, don’t come back,” she said.
“Olga, what are you doing?!” Wilhelmina said.
“Saving people, Willie,” Olga said, “Like I always do.”
Wilhelmina tried climbing out, but Olga shut the door and locked it, not listening to Wilhelmina pounding on the window or pleading for her to reconsider. The pilot dutifully started the engine.
“Go!” Olga shouted.
The pilot made a thumbs-up, and the plane’s jet engines fired up. Olga turned to the lone soldier next to her.
“Is that a sniper rifle you have?” she said.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
“Mind if I borrow it?” Olga said.
The soldier handed his rifle to Olga. “I should be taking the shot, shouldn’t I?”
“No, you should get out of here,” she said, “That’s an order!”
“Yes, ma’am!” The soldier ran.
Olga fired a cable at one of the overhangs, grabbing on to a steel beam. She grappled up to the rooftop and took up a firing position, using the scope to scout out enemy positions. As she did so, she remembered how Tania used to watch her practice and then try to copy her with her own rifle. Olga then remembered how Tania was still missing in action. She was doing this for her niece too. She couldn’t fail. Wilhelmina had to survive. Olga had to make up for losing Tania, and Jessica, and Angela, and the rest of X-Division. If anyone had to die today, let it be her.
Wilhelmina’s plane roared out of the hangar and down the runway. The soldier with the rocket launcher stood up to fire, revealing his position. Olga shot him in the head. The sniper then emerged from his hiding spot, but she reloaded and fired again, shooting him before he got off a shot. More soldiers with rocket launchers appeared, preparing to fire. She shot them in rapid succession.
By now, other enemies had spotted her location and advanced accordingly. Several drones veered off course and began flying towards her, with some going after Wilhelmina’s plane. Olga reloaded her rifle and shot down those heading for the plane, ignoring those targeting herself. The rest of the drones fired missiles at the hangar, forcing Olga to drop her rifle and grapple down with her left cable just as the roof exploded. There were soldiers waiting on the ground. She first fired at the Trabant, causing it to explode and take out several soldiers.
“Thank you for your service, Trabi,” she whispered, “Your battle is over now.”
But not hers. She shot at the approaching soldiers with her pistol, blind fire helping her take out most of them. There was no time to retract the cable, so she disconnected it and jumped down to the ground. The soldiers closed in, guns ready, but Olga fired her right cable to grab one of their guns and redirect it at another soldier, shooting him. Then she tore the gun out of his hand, tossed it aside, and jumped into the fray, letting loose another hail of point blank shots and punches which quickly overwhelmed her attackers. Seconds later, all of the Crusaders had fallen. But shouting outside indicated the next wave was about to arrive.
Olga hid behind a large cargo crate, waiting for the squad to arrive. She knew they could see her with their Panopticons, and she counted on it. As the squad advanced on the crate, dividing itself to go around both sides, she climbed on top of the crate and immediately dropped down onto the right flank. Not expecting her to attack from above, they scrambled to aim, but it was too late. She tackled one soldier, shooting him in the head, and then fired at three more before they could turn around. With her ammunition spent, she tossed the gun at a soldier next to her, picked up a Crusader assault rifle, and slammed it into another’s face while she drew a knife. One soldier tried shooting her with a pistol, but she grabbed his arm and redirected his aim at a comrade, shooting him in the head instead, while she stabbed him in the stomach. As he went down, Olga grabbed his pistol and threw it at a soldier attacking her from the left while she fired her gauntlet and stabbed another soldier on the right with the blade at the end. Some soldiers tried grabbing the cable to immobilize her or at least throw her off-balance, but she electrified the cable and shocked them.
Still more soldiers charged in, shouting orders as quickly as they fired. However, their adrenaline clouded their aim, and Olga exploited that. She dived for the floor, rolling towards the soldiers before transitioning into a spinning kick, one foot hooking from the left into one soldier’s leg. She used her momentum to pull herself to her feet, her arms lashing out. One fist slammed into the cheek of a nearby soldier, while the other hand slashed the neck of the soldier to her right. Slowing down, she took aim and fired her gauntlet, impaling one soldier cleanly through his body and hitting the one behind him.
More rapid-fire footsteps echoed, accompanied by more shouts. She knew still more soldiers were on their way, but she wasn’t out of the fight. As long as she could hold them off, they wouldn’t focus on Wilhelmina. When she was sure they were just around the corner, Olga ran at the wall and kicked off it, her feet planting themselves four feet off the floor and pushing off, hurling her through the air into the Crusaders who had just entered the hangar. She slashed once, cutting deep into a soldier’s throat, and grabbed the head of another to reorient herself, snapping his neck. Her feet slammed into another soldier’s chest, forcefully slamming him back against the wall. Still in movement, she curled up and put herself into a roll as she hit the ground, sticking out her knife to slash another soldier in his lower leg, forcing him to his knees. Turning around, she embedded her knife into his chest. There were now four enemies left, armed with knives, and they circled like vultures. Her eyes darted between each of them, observing their behavior. She clenched her fists and planted her feet, waiting for them to charge on her own terms.
“Think you can take me?” she boasted.
Even in a life or death situation, she couldn’t resist making the reference in a horrible Caledonian accent.
The soldiers charged simultaneously, which was what Olga expected. She crossed her arms, grabbed the arms of the soldiers to her left and right, and dodged the lunges from the other two men. She uncrossed her arms by pulling the two grabbed soldiers inwards, forcing them to stab each other. Releasing them, she punched the soldier in front of her with her left arm and elbowed the one behind her with her other arm, following that up with a roundhouse kick to the latter that snapped his neck and another kick that landed squarely on the fourth soldier’s chest. The last soldier stumbled back but stayed upright, getting into a fighting stance. Olga planted her feet again and motioned for him to attack first, again on her terms.
“Ya done!” she taunted, again with the horrible accent.
The soldier charged again, fists flying. He threw a punch at her head, which she dodged, along with the following knife jab from his other arm. As his punch pulled him past her, she turned and socked him in the jaw. He staggered back, wiping away blood from his nose, and lunged again, this time lashing out with his feet. Olga simply sidestepped his kick, grabbed his leg, and twisted. The soldier screamed in agony and stumbled back, but he didn’t go down. He was much tougher than he looked. He charged at Olga yet again, and this time Olga grabbed his arm and twisted it around, hearing his bones snap. The soldier responded by hitting her with his free arm, landing a heavy punch on her cheek which hurt really badly. Olga jabbed at his midsection with her knee and stabbed her thumb in his eye, and although he struggled in agony, clutching at his head with his free arm, he refused to yield. She twisted his arm harder, forcing him to drop his knife, and then headbutted him. He staggered back, giving Olga an opening to stab him.
“Praga 1972! My ne zabudem!”
Prague 1972. We will never forget.
She couldn’t see it now, while she was fighting yet another wave of soldiers, but she knew that was what the KGB tattoo on her shoulder said. Back when she was an angry and bitter teenager, she had gotten the tattoo as a vow of vengeance against the capitalists who allegedly killed her mother, using those words to blindly follow a mad regime as it blundered into a worldwide war. Now she saw it differently. Prague was a warning of what happened to those orphaned by war. They would grow up angry and bitter, like she did back then, ready to continue the cycle of vengeance and violence. She could not let history repeat itself. This time, she would remember Prague. She would remember who she really was, not the identity Valentin forced on her.
Frankfurt - August 1986
“I’ve decided on some codenames.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know people don’t really like my name right now. And I’m a bit of a target too. So why not use some codenames when I’m on missions with you? I was thinking Monica von Furstenburg and Maria Reinhardt, but they can call me Mary. Or maybe Diana von Falkenstein—wait, that won’t work for obvious reasons. Oh, and if I ever need to impersonate a man, I could use Jonathan Becker. I hope I don’t get into that situation.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Olga. I don’t want you going back into the field so soon.”
“Why not?”
“It’s been only a month since the war ended. I want you to get used to peacetime. And using your own name.”
Anne parked the car in front of a plain suburban house. 18-year-old Olga was a little expecting something more…impressive. But whatever.
“We’re here, Olga,” she said.
“This your house, Ms. Anne?” Olga said.
“Yes,” Anne said, “I’ve lived here for thirty years now. Raised Anna and Tobias here.”
“Not anywhere in the big city?” Olga said.
“Sometimes, you just want to live in the suburbs, away from the rush of the big city,” Anne said, “Live a slower life, surrounded by your family.”
“I…don’t think that’s possible for me,” Olga said, “The only family I have left is Irina.”
“You have me now,” Anne said, “And Anna and Tobias. Anna’s currently a little frustrated and off on an assignment…but she’ll come around. She always does.”
“Does she remember me?” Olga said. “Not the me from Vienna, but the me from before that.”
“I’m not sure,” Anne said, “But I certainly do. No matter what the KGB did to you, you haven’t changed one bit from then.”
They got out of the car and walked up to the front porch. Anne opened the door and held it open for Olga, who curiously looked around the foyer. It was plainly decorated, with one mirror, a painting of two little girls—both brunettes—playing around a tree on a hill in a field, and a family picture of Anne with her kids. Olga winced at the sight of Diana’s face. Anne reassuringly patted her on the shoulder.
“It’s okay,” Anne said, “Anna will forgive you. Eventually.”
“Will she, though?” Olga said.
“You know, you two got along very well as kids,” Anne said.
“We did?” Olga said.
“It was in this very house, too, when you first met,” Anne said, “It was 1971. You were three, she was eight. Tatiana and Boris brought you and Irina over to visit us for Anna’s birthday, while we were all on break from Prague duty. Nina and Alek brought Theresa and Pavel too. You wanted to draw silly pictures with your crayons.”
Olga could feel her cheeks going red with embarrassment. She didn’t remember any of that—she was three back then, and soon afterward she would go through the trauma of Prague and the KGB training—but it felt so Olga. She hadn’t picked up drawing since then, but she definitely saw her three-year-old self doing it. They walked into the living room, and Anne pointed at an old couch.
“You were sitting on that couch,” she said, “Just sitting by yourself while the other kids played tag or something. Anna walked over. She said: ’Hi, I’m Diana. What’s your name?’”
“What did I say?” Olga said.
“You were too scared to say anything,” Anne said, “You just hid behind the canvas. Until Anna just pushed the canvas down to see your face.”
“Me?” Olga said. “Scared of Diana?”
“You were three, after all,” Anne said, “Anna must have towered over you. But the whole time, I only saw a smile on Anna’s face. She reached out her hand. ‘Nice to meet you, Olga. Can I be your friend?’”
“Very direct, as I expected,” Olga said.
“You sat there for a few seconds,” Anne said, “And then you slowly took her hand and smiled. ‘Come on, Olga, let’s go play tag!’ And you played a game of tag. Anna let you win. I still remember you triumphant poking her and screaming ‘TAG!’ triumphantly, while Anna held you up high.”
“Lucky how I won that game of tag and not the one in Vienna,” Olga said.
“After that, you went back to your canvas and drew something,” Anne said, “Anna was worried you were going back to your usual self, so she sat next to you. But she was surprised by what you drew.”
“What was I drawing?” Olga said.
“I actually saved it for you,” Anne said, “Hold on.”
She dug around a bookshelf and took out an album, flipping past dozens of pages of Athanatoi awards and achievements to the very end, where a piece of canvas paper was framed. Olga quickly recognized the crayon sketch scribbled on it as her own. Two stick figures held hands and smiled up at her from under a smiling sun. The caption read “DIANA + OLGA -
“I…made this?” Olga said.
She could feel her heart melting from the cuteness. It was an emotion she barely felt growing up in dreary old Russia, yet it felt so familiar. She knew she had written that many years ago, and her three-year-old self had meant it.
“Anna said, ‘Why don’t we be friends, Olga?’” Anne recalled. “You said, ‘How about sisters?’ And Anna smiled. ‘I always wanted a sister’, she said.”
Tsarberg - 2038
Olga recalled Anne’s words as she kept fighting now. She knew why she was fighting and who she was fighting for. For her late mother, who died in 1972, protecting her to the very end. For her other mother, who died in 2001 and always looked out for her, even when Olga was trying to kill her. For her sister Irina and niece Tania, so they would not have to go through what she did. For her other sister Diana, her comrade-in-arms for decades. And for Nina, Alek, Theresa, Anders, and Angela…she could not forget. Their fights were now her fight.
“Praga 1972! Tsargrad 2001! Berlin 2030! My ne zabudem!”
She effortlessly defeated the latest wave and looked at the runway. Wilhelmina’s plane disappeared above the clouds just as the first rays of the rising sun broke through them. Huh. It felt like she had been fighting for much longer. But she was safe now.
“Go, Willie,” she said, “Save us all.”
As for herself…it was time to leave. She turned to walk away, but then she heard the sound of a motorcycle’s engines revving. No. Wait. Impossible. There was only one motorcycle which sounded that way. But that couldn’t be the case. She had been dead for eight years. How, then?
“…Diana?” she asked. “Sis?”
She received her response in the form of an exploding grenade which tossed her off her feet and slammed her against a wall. Her back and legs groaned in pain, and stars exploded in her eyes. Frak. She shouldn’t have lowered her guard like that. Of course it was too good to be true. Her blurry vision made out someone riding into the hangar on a motorcycle. Even with her sight impaired by the explosion, she could easily identify the motorcycle her mother and Diana once drove, both by its shape and its familiar engine noises. But the person riding it, the one who had tossed the grenade at her, was clearly not Diana. She tried getting to her feet, but her legs failed her, and she lost consciousness.
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Josh smugly stood over the unconscious Olga. He smirked. He didn’t expect that to work, but this old woman was more sentimental than he expected. This was why women shouldn’t be leaders. Why they couldn’t handle their own lives. They got too emotional and hysterical over the smallest things.
As much as he wanted to just shoot her now and add another name to his list, he had his orders. Not that it would change anything in the long run.
East of Tsarberg
Wilhelmina’s face remained glued to the window, trying to look back through the clouds and her fogged-up glasses for any glimpse, however fleeting and distant, of Olga. The woman who was her hero.
“No…” she said. “I don’t want to run again…”
But the plane kept flying in the direction of the rising sun, now escorted by a squadron of old MiGs. Once, they had terrorized the skies of Europe, raining down missiles on Roman cities fifty years ago. Now, they were her saviors.
Displaced persons camp, outside Stockholm
Irina’s phone chimed. Surprisingly, it still worked after everything that had happened. She picked it up.
Jerusalem-occupied Tsarberg
A light rain had set in. Most of the city now lay under enemy occupation. Smoke rose from its destroyed buildings, still rising even as the rain put out many fires. Elias had set up his base of operations in crater-riddled Palace Square. The Yeremey Column had been destroyed in one of the missile strikes, as was most of the Winter Palace. A shame. Elias had always appreciated the beautiful architecture of Tsarberg—beautiful for a bunch of pagan barbarians—and hated how the equalists tarnished it. Oh well. Might as well tear it all down now since it was already damaged. Put the land to better use.
Ferdinand rushed up to him and saluted.
“Sir,” he said, “We’ve captured Chancellor Kirova.”
“Excellent,” Elias said, “Get the cameras ready for the 9th.”
November 9
Yesterday’s rain continued into the 9th, keeping the fallen city shrouded in shadow. Josh dragged Olga into a clearing in the middle of the camp. Elias stood before several TV cameras. Josh forced her to kneel before Elias. She glared up at Elias defiantly.
“So this is the great Agent Olga Kirova I’ve heard about for years,” Elias said, “You’ve got quite the record. Two-term chancellor of Russia, the X-Division Athanatos who exposed Sentinel, woman-loving deviant…and the feared KGB assassin and war criminal known as Firebird. I didn’t expect my men to capture you so easily.”
“It wasn’t an easy fight,” Olga said.
“And yet you still lost, in the end,” Elias said, “I almost pity you.”
“We both know you are incapable of pity,” Olga said, “So drop the charade.”
“Tell me where the ex-princess is,” Elias said, “And I’ll spare your life.”
“What, you’re not going to ask me where the Tsar went?” Olga said. “Or the Duma? Or my own cabinet? You must be so obsessed with Willie.”
“They are of no consequence,” Elias said, “The cabinet is useless. The Tsar is a powerless coward. The Duma is already tendering its surrender and dissolution. Well? Where is the ex-princess? I’m awaiting your answer.”
“Go to Chernobog,” Olga said, “I’m not telling you anything, you monster.”
“Funny, you’re calling me a monster,” Elias said, “When you’ve committed your fair share of war crimes fifty years ago. What, you thought we’d all forget because the party cartel told us to?”
“I didn’t expect anyone to forget,” Olga said, “My whole career after the war was to atone for my actions.”
“Atone?” Elias said. “Ha! I thought you knew the realities of the world, but you’re nothing more than an idealist in the end. You’re only deluding yourself. Even fifty years of good deeds can’t cover up everything you did. You’ll never escape being the Firebird.”
1986
“But that was 15 years ago,” Olga said, “Times have changed. I killed Nina and Alek. I almost killed you and Diana. How can she forgive me for that, after what I did? I still don’t know why you forgave me. I don’t think I deserve it.”
“I was more mad at myself for not saving you,” Anne said, “Tatiana asked me to protect you, to give you a normal life she couldn’t, and I failed. If anything, I should be the one not deserving anything. It was never your fault, you know. The KGB made you do all sorts of horrible things in Varennikov’s name.”
“I still chose to do it,” Olga said, “I killed all those people in Vienna. When I went to kill you and Diana and that redhead girl and the royals, I really hated you. I really wanted to kill you. It’s okay if you won’t forgive me. I fully expect that. I really deserve it. Why do I get a happy ending, when all I’ve done is cause suffering and chaos? Why are you—”
Anne suddenly hugged her tightly, shutting her up. Olga’s Firebird reflexes kicked in instantly, but Anne was too strong, and soon Olga relaxed when she realized there was no threat. Something about the hug felt familiar. It awakened an ancient memory which had long been pushed to the back of her head. It was just like when her own mother hugged her, all the way back when. And was Anne…crying?
“I was never mad at you,” Anne said, “Just sad you were lost. I’m sorry, Olga, for not finding you much sooner. Maybe we could’ve started off on a better note. But it is what it is. Best we can do is move forward now. The past is past. It happened.”
“The past interferes with what we can do with the present, though,” Olga said, “Because of it, Diana will never forgive me.”
“You may not be friends with her now, but you once were, and you can be again,” Anne said, “I know my own daughter better than anyone. She will forgive you. She is not the kind of girl who holds grudges.”
“Even against Soviet super-assassins who tried to kill her?” Olga said.
“No, a little girl she once knew who was brainwashed,” Anne said, “She will come around. Just like I have.”
“Even so, I won’t be able to escape my past anywhere else,” Olga said, “The rest of the world still sees me as the Firebird.”
“So what?” Anne said. “Who said you had to escape your past? That only means denying a part of you. The past informs your present, and to deny it is to deny the experiences that made you who you are today.”
“You’ve run from your past, though, haven’t you?” Olga said. “Didn’t you try to leave behind your record in the last war?”
“No, I never did,” Anne said, “You know, I’d like nothing more than to forget about Tobias Wagner’s death, or the deaths of my parents. Those are all horrible experiences nobody should have to go through. But I never ran from them. I embraced those memories as my own. I embraced myself for who I truly was, the bad and all. Because if you deny the bad, you’ll deny the good as well. I’ll take the bad as long as I remember the good.”
(3:10-3:50)
2038
“What makes you think I want to escape it?” Olga said. “I’m Olga Kirova, daughter of the war hero Tatiana Kirova, daughter of the war hero Anne Frank, sister of Diana Frank, wife of Yulia ‘Jessica’ Ilyushina, two-term Chancellor of Russia, Agent of the Tsardom, His Russian Majesty’s Most Loyal Defender, and Most Loyal Defender of the true Kaiserin of the Romans. But I’m also known by many as the Firebird. And to be frank with you? It’s been fifty years. I don’t care. I’m done running from my past. So go ahead and call me that, if you want. Call me an idealist. I’d be honored, really. Just like my mother was the idealist known as the Valkyrie before me.”
Elias nodded to Josh, who pressed his rifle against the back of Olga’s head.
“I’m going to give you one last chance,” he said, “Tell me where Guglielma is. Or I will execute you.”
“Ha, you’re going to need a much bigger threat than that,” Olga said, “Even then, I would never give up Willie’s location. She’s long gone by now. You’ll never get to her, even if you burn down all of Russia.”
She covertly moved her hand into her back pocket, reaching for Putin’s pen. They must have been either so stupid they failed to notice the pen or so arrogant they thought it was irrelevant. This same pen had saved her so many times over the last five decades. It had also protected her wife on her last mission.
“I just might,” Elias said, “It’s the same with you lot, whether in Taurica or in the motherland. Always drug-addicted barbarians tearing down the Christian civilization we’ve built.”
She was surrounded by a dozen Panopticon-enhanced soldiers who would detect any movement from her. She had been doing her research on Panopticons recently with data from Alexandra’s group in Isfahan. Although her team didn’t finish their work before this happened, Olga had modified her pen according to what she had found out. She had only one shot at this.
“Don’t always assume we’re drug-addicted barbarians,” Olga said, “Underestimating us Russians will be your downfall. The Mongols, Yavdians, Lithuanians, Scandinavians, and Angeloi all made that same mistake. For forty years, we were a superpower to be reckoned with. Not bad for a bunch of so-called drug-addled barbarians.”
“No matter what you call yourselves, the fact is we will destroy you,” Elias said, “Just as you tried to do to us, we will burn your country to ash, slaughter your people, and break you down for good. You will get what you deserve. We will repay everything you’ve done to us—to me—with interest.”
“No, you won’t,” Olga said.
“Why would you say that?” Elias said.
“Go ahead, you can kill me now,” Olga said, “Kill however many people you want. Burn our cities to the ground. But you’ll never break our spirit. You’ll never take our freedom. The only thing you’ve done is condemn yourself to Chernobog for all of the sins you committed and suffering you visited on the rest of the world. Because what goes around, comes around. Do you really think the violence and destruction you spread won’t come back to Jerusalem? It definitely will. And when it does…remember, the Firebird always rises from the ashes.”
She activated the pen, and suddenly Josh and Gustav froze up. She got up and lunged at Elias’ neck, a small blade emerging from the tip of the pen, but Josh, pushing through the paralysis, shot her in the hand and then the leg, one bullet smashing through the pen. She fell back onto her knees, and the shattered remains of Putin’s pen fell to the ground, having performed the last duty of its fifty-year life. Josh and Gustav soon recovered. Elias sighed.
“I tried to be reasonable, you know,” he said, “But I see there’s no reasoning with a savage. Very well then. If you desire death that badly, I’ll grant your wish. Johansen, execute her.”
“With pleasure,” Josh said, pressing his gun against the back of Olga’s head again.
1986
“Take the bad with the good…” Olga said. “Sounds counterintuitive.”
“Ultimately, it’s up to you,” Anne said, “In the end, I can only give you good advice or put you on the right path. It’s up to you to walk down that path. The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands. Don’t let other people define who you are. Only you can shape your own destiny.”
“Like you did,” Olga said.
“Exactly,” Anne said, “But if you ever need someone to confide in, I’ll always be there for you.”
“Really?” Olga said.
“Of course,” Anne said, “That’s what moms are there for.”
Olga’s face lit up. “Mom?”
“Of course,” Anne said, “It’s what Tatiana would’ve wanted.”
Suddenly, all of Olga’s emotional walls broke down, and she cried into Anne’s shoulder, letting loose many emotions the KGB forced her to bottle up for years. Anne quietly patted her head.
“It’s okay, Olga,” she said, “Let it all out. I’m here for you. Like I always will be.”
“Thanks, Ms. Anne—Mom,” Olga said, “Thanks.”
“I’ll always protect you, Olga,” Anne said, “No matter how times may change, no matter what people say and think of you, never forget who you are. A good person at heart.”
(3:50 to the end.)
2038
Olga mustered the last of her strength to look at the cameras broadcasting what was most certainly her final moments to the rest of the world.
“Jessica…Tania…Di…Mom…Mom…” Olga said. “I’ll see you all soon. I know I made you proud. To my people…don’t forget me. Don't forget the sacrifice I make today. Don’t forget who you are. Good people at heart!”
Josh pulled the trigger. A shot rang out, and the Firebird fell. The last of the X-Division was no more.
Later that day, Russia became the first nation to surrender to Jerusalem. It would not be the last.
It was abundantly clear now. World War IV had began.
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Goodbye, Olga. Farewell to the last remnant of the Cold War. This was always how I imagined she would go out, at least once I came up with the idea for the committee arc. One last act of sacrifice and heroism, going down in a blaze of glory like the phoenix the Firebird is. Just like Lin Beifong in Legend of Korra.
You have no idea how long it took me to find a video of this particular track without the spoilerly title. If not for that, I would have posted this several hours ago. A backup link in case the video gets DMCA'd later on: Being Patient from Legend of Korra Book 1 (also known as Beifong's Sacrifice).
I'm back from vacation now. The gameplay chapter is up next, and afterward I think I'll switch to biweekly updates now that the real life and in universe dates no longer line up.
Olga’s battle quotes are from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 NPC dialogue that became memes. For her final fight scene, I incorporated elements of Tatiana's fight scenes from back in her mini-arc. Like mother, like daughter, right to the very end.
As I previously discussed, Olga’s codenames and false identities are names of scrapped characters I was planning on putting in the later X-Division arcs, replacing the characters of Diane Fowley, Monica Reyes, and John Doggett in the original X-Files. I paid homage to the original ideas by making all of the names Olga’s codenames at various points. In the previous conversation I had forgotten I also had a character named Diana von Falkenstein, who replaced Monica von Furstenburg and was the final idea for the Fowley role before I came up with Diana Frank when I decided to continue Anne's story into NWO.
I was originally going to introduce Tania (back when she was Valentin Kirov) and do the drone attack sequence after Olga’s death, with her fleet actually sailing into Bremerhaven’s harbor and being attacked there to mirror General Iroh’s arrival. There was also a plan for the fleet to get nuked after or instead of the drone attack, and Tania would then join up with the Bremerhaven resistance, but I couldn’t figure out how to make it logically work, so I had Bremerhaven nuked last December, introduced Tania in May, and had Angelica and Julian leave Bremerhaven between then.
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A fitting end for the Firebird, and to the X-Division. Her family, friends and country are proud.
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Fare well Olga, I think it's fair to say that lady was our hero. She really was a daughter of Anne and Tatiana and sister to Diana wasn't she, fighting the good fight till the bitter end, even using the Trabant and Putin’s Pen along with her other arsenal one final time and giving those things send offs. I really liked the flashbacks to Anne and Olga too, nice to see Anne again even in Olga's last moments. All in all, wonderful if bittersweet send off to the last member of X-Division.
And with that, X-Division is gone, the thread has been severed. At least their families and spiritual successors are still around Hopefully that's the last time Josh ever gets a successful kill on a major character. I think sooner or later it will be time for the successors to X-Division's legacy (whether by blood or spirit) get their revenge on him. Same applies to Elias as well.
The Russian empire may have surrendered, but the rest of this war will be a bloody struggle, one that humanity's fate may hinge on. We're lucky to still have Wilhelmina as a potential rallying for the free peoples fighting against Jerusalem's tyranny. Brace yourself, for what will hopefully be the last great war.
That said, I am worried at how the gameplay chapter after the next one is called the "History of the End". Looks like we're heading towards a TNO or Fallout style ending as Elias' regime slips further and further into barbarity and insanity. Hopefully humanity will be able to rebuild after all this chaos is over. I'm especially hoping for the Reich and China to return to sanity when Jerusalem is toppled and not, you know, end up like TNO Russia after Taboritsky's death and the brutal collapse of the HRE.
Oh, and here’s the idea for a WW2 Saint Gunhilda mini arc you asked me to remind you off when you came back from your vacation. I almost forgot to mention it here.
And with that, X-Division is gone, the thread has been severed. At least their families and spiritual successors are still around Hopefully that's the last time Josh ever gets a successful kill on a major character. I think sooner or later it will be time for the successors to X-Division's legacy (whether by blood or spirit) get their revenge on him. Same applies to Elias as well.
The Russian empire may have surrendered, but the rest of this war will be a bloody struggle, one that humanity's fate may hinge on. We're lucky to still have Wilhelmina as a potential rallying for the free peoples fighting against Jerusalem's tyranny. Brace yourself, for what will hopefully be the last great war.
Oh, and here’s the idea for a WW2 Saint Gunhilda mini arc you asked me to remind you off when you came back from your vacation. I almost forgot to mention it here.
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Goodbye Olga, you really were a true idealist to the end. A true defender, to both your country, and your loved ones
Also I love how Putin's Pen got to shine one last time even if it failed in the end, the Hohenzollernverse's John Wick would have been proud of his colleague. Man, I knew someone was gonna die in this chapter, but goddamn it still hurts seeing yet another character we've been following for irl years go down like this. And it's a fitting bookends too, I think Olga was first fully introduced when WW3 was in full swing right? And now we got to see her go just as WW4 is happening.
Regarding if the Hohenzollernverse will end up like TNO's nuclear war ending, I want to hope that it eventually comes back from the brink, after all, the post nuclear endings showed that humanity had the capacity to bounce back even after all the awful stuff that happened, especially in regards to Russia post Tabby, there's one heartwarming event where two young siblings rediscover the plane as the spirits of the Wright Brothers watch over (though only implied), there's another where a bunch of Astronauts discover a bleached white flag as they land on the moon (Implied to be the Nazi flag). While I forsee a bummer ending at the end of all of this, I want to keep hoping that in the end, Jerusalem is toppled once and for all, the aftermath however, is gonna be really ugly.
Also I love how Putin's Pen got to shine one last time even if it failed in the end, the Hohenzollernverse's John Wick would have been proud of his colleague. Man, I knew someone was gonna die in this chapter, but goddamn it still hurts seeing yet another character we've been following for irl years go down like this. And it's a fitting bookends too, I think Olga was first fully introduced when WW3 was in full swing right? And now we got to see her go just as WW4 is happening.
Regarding if the Hohenzollernverse will end up like TNO's nuclear war ending, I want to hope that it eventually comes back from the brink, after all, the post nuclear endings showed that humanity had the capacity to bounce back even after all the awful stuff that happened, especially in regards to Russia post Tabby, there's one heartwarming event where two young siblings rediscover the plane as the spirits of the Wright Brothers watch over (though only implied), there's another where a bunch of Astronauts discover a bleached white flag as they land on the moon (Implied to be the Nazi flag). While I forsee a bummer ending at the end of all of this, I want to keep hoping that in the end, Jerusalem is toppled once and for all, the aftermath however, is gonna be really ugly.
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A fantastic final ending to the X-Division. Olga went down like a true fighter her friends, family and country would be proud of her. I particularly love the flashbacks.
When Olga wants you to do something you do it.
I think your right. If so then it is a fitting end.
Well the part covering WWIII were called "The End of History" and the world has still lasted up to this point so here is hoping that title is just there to scare us.
Valentin tried to mold her into a hero who would protect Russia from its enemies. She did end up a hero who died protecting Russia. Just not the Russia he imagined.
Meelo voice “That lady is my hero.”
Olga went out making both her moms proud. She definitely earned the right to be considered Anne’s daughter. Anne always thought she failed Tatiana’s request all those years ago, but she didn’t. It was ultimately fulfilled decades later. Tatiana is smiling, wherever she is.
The worst thing is Olga never found out if Tania is still alive. And Tania wouldn’t know Olga is dead as she is in no position to watch a TV or go online.
Funny enough, Chapter 464’s original title was “The Last War, Part 1” but I thought “History of the End” fit much better.
I’ll say one thing to that:
“We can’t always have nice things.”
I have an idea to explore Finnish culture and traditional Tengri and Finnish pagan beliefs (which will start in a couple updates), so maybe the Gunhilda possessing Finnish snipers (among others) could explore that. Bonus points if they run into a secret Worm cult hideout in the Finnish tundra and have to fight it singlehandedly. A mini-arc for Victoria Louise and Saint Wilhelmina could help flesh out how Victoria Louise felt about her family being Angeloi pawns as well as some comparisons between the purges and resettlements of the 12th century and the industrialized genocide of the 20th century.
Her battles are finally over. From a scared and angry teenager to a wise and caring old woman, she sure has come a long way. Russia will not know another great soul like her for a long time. Unfortunately for the Russians.
I mean, the only other options for deaths were Wilhelmina, Sophie, and a bunch of random Russians, so…
Even long after his retirement from espionage, Putin still comes in clutch with his tools.
Definitely a neat bookend. Olga came into this story during World War III and left it during World War IV. And funny enough, both of those wars were the ones in which the Reich/Jerusalem was fighting the Soviets/Russia.
We will have to wait and see.
The flashback was my favorite part to write in this update. I spent a while organizing it the way you see it now, as originally it was just one chunk placed at the beginning. Before that it didn’t exist until I realized I had only said Anne had mentored Olga after the war but never really showed it and Olga’s change from her war years to X-Division.
Yes.When Olga wants you to do something you do it.
Olga’s life was shaped by one world war. It was only fitting she go out in another, trying to prevent more people from ending up like her.
I did rename chapter 464 to that solely to have that bookend.
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