The Hohenzollern Empire 5: Holy Phoenix - An Empire of Jerusalem Megacampaign in New World Order

[zenphoenix]

You know, seeing this video and its continuation recently got me to think about an idea for early mechs, that would be them starting off for peacetime uses like as construction or agricultural machinery, before being implemented into the military during times of war, like what happened to various examples listed in the comments of this video.

I also read a few things arguing that mechs, and legged vehicles in general, would work better than wheeled vehicles in microgravity, like for asteroid mining and stuff. So yeah, I could see future space mining and construction using mechs. As for in gravity wells, I think there are situations where mechs would be useful and others where treaded and wheeled vehicles are better. You won't see mechs replacing literally everything else in a military, as happened in Code Geass and presumably other mecha anime, but they'll fill specialized niches. And of course their legs will have an advantage in traversing rough terrain. That being said, I already have a couple ideas on when Hohenzollernverse mechs will be introduced and why.

I know Dragoon implied that the Templars had a monopoly on the HTE's psionics, but I feel like their rivalry with the Centurions and Autoritter pilots could be intensified should psionics Centurions or Mech pilots show up. For that matter, I could see the HTE's enemies taking advantage of the various rivalries within its military in the future, since a feudal style command structure might not do so well against, say, a more meritocratic military.

I could see that, yeah. Psionic mech pilots would be especially sought out, because psionic abilities can vastly improve pilot-machine synchronization. A normal pilot would have delay times in between thinking of an action and then doing it, because nerve signals take time to go from the brain to the limbs, and then the interfaces moved by the limbs have to send their own electrical signals through the rest of the mech. But a psionic pilot could directly move the mech with their mind, bypassing the need for a mechanical interface.

Even in a meritocratic/non-feudal military, keep in mind there's still room for inter-service rivalry. There are plenty of examples of factions and rivalries within the real life US military, both past and present, which influenced what technologies and doctrines were prioritized in various wars.

On the topic on of mechs, I wonder if you're planning on getting into Gundam at some point and use anything from there for your mechs?

Gundam's been on my list for a while. Heard a lot of good things about Witch From Mercury, but I also want to watch the original stuff. I think the one called "Universal Century." Only issue is figuring out the ideal watch order.

Moving on, since you said Molotov and Zhukov was in favor of nuclear arms control and remembering our discussion of the reworked space race, perhaps the Russians could have a smaller nuclear arsenal than the Reich and China but make up for it with more early space race wins and military assets in space, like being able to drop troops from space as you said.

The way I see it, Molotov or his renamed equivalent would have attempted to limit nuclear arms proliferation while he was still in power. This allows the Reich and China to start building up their own arsenals in the early years of the Cold War. When "Molotov" retires, his successor (Beria or his renamed equivalent or someone else) sees the arms buildup in the other two superpowers and in turn ditches his predecessor's arms control. After the "Cuban" Missile Crisis, "Khrushchev" or whoever realizes the nukes aren't worth it and decides to reallocate money from expanding the nuclear arsenal to the space race instead. "Molotov"'s sentiments still persist in the Party leadership for decades, and combined with "Khrushchev"'s focus on space leads to the two becoming intertwined as a political platform. So inter-Party factions emerge based on either nuclear expansion or continuing the space race. In the 1960s and 70s, the space faction is dominant, so Russia invests in launch facilities in North Eimerica, training cosmonauts, sending up space stations and orbital weapons platforms, and trying to go to the moon. Maybe I'll let them and China land someone on the moon after the Reich. By the late 70s and early 80s, the nuke faction becomes dominant, and existing space infrastructure is militarized. Nukes aren't placed in space though. I could probably get away with a modified Outer Space Treaty that only bans nukes from space, not conventional weapons. By 1984, expansion of the nuclear arsenal has ramped up once again, leading to the crisis that ultimately escalates into World War III. The presence of Roman, Chinese, and Soviet military satellites and weapons platforms would in a way keep the war conventional, because any nuclear launch from one country would invite orbital strikes from the other two against the launch and surface facilities. So even though the Russian nuclear arsenal was vastly expanded in the years leading up to the war, it is still vastly behind the Roman and Chinese ones, but it doesn't really matter because everybody has SVI-type orbital weapons that can neutralize any nuclear launch. So the main fight on that front would be in space as military astronauts/cosmonauts try to destroy each other's SVI-type networks so that their nukes on the surface can be safely launched.

Also on the topic on your Mars map after Julius' victory, would you still use Dragoon's map from DEA like you did with your previous map, or would you use a different map to account for Mars' terraforming progress and also to get a higher res map?

I am 100% switching over to one of the high res maps I found over the last couple months. Dragoon's marking of cities was starting to limit what I could do, and there were some serious mapping distortions which really threw me off when trying to figure out which geological features were where in relation to the settlements.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

I could see that, yeah. Psionic mech pilots would be especially sought out, because psionic abilities can vastly improve pilot-machine synchronization. A normal pilot would have delay times in between thinking of an action and then doing it, because nerve signals take time to go from the brain to the limbs, and then the interfaces moved by the limbs have to send their own electrical signals through the rest of the mech. But a psionic pilot could directly move the mech with their mind, bypassing the need for a mechanical interface.

That makes sense. I also once thought of the HTE developing biomechanical mechs after the Omega Alignment like in Evangelion, but I'm not too sure about that now. My idea now is that the xeno cults would try their hand at making developing biomechanical mechs with their experiments in Ouroboros mutations, while the HTE would continue to make regular mechs but use psionic pilots to remove the need for a mechanical interface and have better pilot-mech synchronization.

Since Reza Khan became a pro Roman ally and Operation Paperclip still happened here, I wonder about former fascists that would've been recruited by the Reich, Russia, and China. I know Twantinsuyu helped Anne hunt down and kill Hoffman so that could rule out the various Cold War Twantinsuyan dictatorships getting advise from former fascists on how to repress political dissents like OTL South American countries, but perhaps China's satellite states like Turkestan, North Persia, and East India would continue to use former Axis advisors in their dictatorships in addition to China's own worst war criminals like Unit 731 operating within them (through North Persia would ironically call South Persia a continuation of the fascist dictatorship)

 

[zenphoenix]

That makes sense. I also once thought of the HTE developing biomechanical mechs after the Omega Alignment like in Evangelion, but I'm not too sure about that now. My idea now is that the xeno cults would try their hand at making developing biomechanical mechs with their experiments in Ouroboros mutations, while the HTE would continue to make regular mechs but use psionic pilots to remove the need for a mechanical interface and have better pilot-mech synchronization.

I don't think the xeno cults would stop at making biomechanical mechs when they can become biomechanical giants themselves. And yeah, the regular military would particularly scout out psionics as mech pilots so they can build mechs that don't need mechanical interfaces and have better synchronization.

Since Reza Khan became a pro Roman ally and Operation Paperclip still happened here, I wonder about former fascists that would've been recruited by the Reich, Russia, and China. I know Twantinsuyu helped Anne hunt down and kill Hoffman so that could rule out the various Cold War Twantinsuyan dictatorships getting advise from former fascists on how to repress political dissents like OTL South American countries, but perhaps China's satellite states like Turkmenistan, North Persia, and East India would continue to use former Axis advisors in their dictatorships in addition to China's own worst war criminals like Unit 731 operating within them (through North Persia would ironically call South Persia a continuation of the fascist dictatorship)

I don't think Turkestan would employ significant ex-Axis individuals given its history of being taken over and oppressed by Rasa India, but I could see some fascist institutions and important figures being employed in North Persia and East India, though they'd be puppets for a new administration flown in from China.

 

[GhostRider124]

The village was completely destroyed. Not a single building or vehicle remained untouched. The only sounds he heard were the crackling of distant fires and a light breeze brushing through his hair. Then there was the silence. That eerie unnatural silence that hung over everything. A street like this should have been filled with noises from traffic and pedestrians. There should have been the ambient hustle of people going about their day. But there was nothing. Yes, Berlin’s recent actions may have reduced the number of people out on the streets, Ludolf reckoned, but he never thought it would be this bad.

“But we need to get you out.”

The man continued flailing. “You murderers!”

“Murderers? We just got here.”

“You have the same armbands they did!” the man pointed at Ludolf’s Crusader armband. To distinguish themselves from Moria’s Crusaders, they wore their armbands upside down and crossed out the eagle. “Upside down crossed out eagles! Don’t say you didn’t know!”

“Sir, that’s impossible,” Moritz said.

“I know,” Ludolf said, “The only other allied unit in this area would be Commander Stefan’s unit. And I know Stefan wouldn’t do this.”

“Typical Crusaders!” The man was gasping for air now. His movements grew more sluggish. Ludolf finally noticed the pool of blood under his upper body, slowing getting larger.

“Or perhaps there’s something else at play here,” Heinrich said, “Something we’re missing. It feels like the answer is staring me in the face, and I just can’t see it.”

I feel like this is a similar event to that town in Mesopotamia that was visited by the Worm. This event has a lot of similar things going on. Then again I could be like Heinrich in just overthinking it.

You won't see mechs replacing literally everything else in a military, as happened in Code Geass and presumably other mecha anime, but they'll fill specialized niches. And of course their legs will have an advantage in traversing rough terrain. That being said, I already have a couple ideas on when Hohenzollernverse mechs will be introduced and why.

That got me thinking about how they will move. Will they move like they do in Code Geass or more like those in Korra, James Cameron's Avatar and Titanfall by just walking?

Also will there be a difference between a Exosuit/Exoskeleton and Mechs in TTL?

Gundam's been on my list for a while. Heard a lot of good things about Witch From Mercury, but I also want to watch the original stuff. I think the one called "Universal Century." Only issue is figuring out the ideal watch order.

As a Code Geass fan one Gundam series I want to get into is Gundam 00 since it seems like the one most familiar to CG with three superpowers and a group wanting to end war.

As for the main series I remember watching a video saying this order (Any Gundam fanatics please correct me if I am wrong.):
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Also will there be a difference between a Exosuit/Exoskeleton and Mechs in TTL?

I'm wondering about that, since I'm pretty sure the terms "mechs" and "power armor" have been used interchangeably in discussions before here.

 

[zenphoenix]

I feel like this is a similar event to that town in Mesopotamia that was visited by the Worm. This event has a lot of similar things going on. Then again I could be like Heinrich in just overthinking it.

Unlike with Mesopotamia, this town probably got hit with something mundane. Not every single "everybody horribly dies in a place" has to have been caused by the Worm, especially in a country overrun with crazy religious fanatics and brainwashed soldiers with mind control chips in their heads.

That got me thinking about how they will move. Will they move like they do in Code Geass or more like those in Korra, James Cameron's Avatar and Titanfall by just walking?

I think the early mechs would move like Korra's Book 1 mech suits, which had wheels on their legs, but as the technology advances they evolve into mechs like from James Cameron's Avatar and Xenoblade X. They'd still have wheels, like in Code Geass, but the high mobility achieved by those mechs would probably only be reached by the best pilots. Wheeled mode would be used for long range travel, but pilots would switch over to walking mode in combat and for rough terrain.

As a Code Geass fan one Gundam series I want to get into is Gundam 00 since it seems like the one most familiar to CG with three superpowers and a group wanting to end war.

As for the main series I remember watching a video saying this order (Any Gundam fanatics please correct me if I am wrong.):
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

Okay, I'll try to keep that in mind.

Also will there be a difference between a Exosuit/Exoskeleton and Mechs in TTL?

I'm wondering about that, since I'm pretty sure the terms "mechs" and "power armor" have been used interchangeably in discussions before here.

Exosuits I'll probably rename to powered armor at some part. I've consciously tried to only use the phrases exosuits/powered armor to describe the actual powered mechanical exoskeletons that soldiers like Josh put on to enhance their physical strength and carry extra gear. They will continue to fill that purpose in the future. Mechs I use to refer to the giant mechanized vehicles with legs. While the control interfaces of mechs may be similar to how powered armor works, they fulfill different purposes Powered armor is for infantry to enhance their abilities and carry more gear. Mechs are combat vehicles like tanks.

 

[zenphoenix]

Zwischenzug​

Isfahan

Ali Qapu was in a state of panic now. Almost immediately after Julian issued his declaration of war against Mozaffar, all hell broke loose. Staffers hurried Mozaffar between various rooms of the palace as each new crisis broke. Just when he finally made himself comfortable in his seat, the staffers dragged him out of the room. By the afternoon on the 28th, he had ended up in the former Music Hall, where Parviz had set up several computers and tables as part of his base of operations.

“Get me the head of al-Khwarizmi!” he screamed into his phone, his anger echoing around the room. “The longer I have to wait, the more I will be inclined to have the Ministry of Energy seize the Atar blueprints!”

“Having trouble?” Mozaffar said.

There was a pause, and then Parviz slammed down his phone. “YOU AHMAGH! That haramzade bisharaf hung up!”

“Were you talking to al-Khwarizmi?”

“Yes, I was going to ask their idiot CEO when he was going to crush those strikers!” Parviz said. “Does he have any idea how important that oil is for our war machine?”

By now, Parviz had assumed most of the decision-making responsibilities in the cabinet. Mozaffar was kept out of the loop for most details other than the extremely obvious stuff. They didn’t even tell me what they planned to do with the oil strikes.

“That’s it, I’m going to send in the troops.” Parviz began typing on a computer. “I’ll get General Malik to send a few tanks up to the refineries and give those equalists a scare. Might as well send another two up to al-Khwarizmi’s headquarters while I’m still here.”

“Don’t you think we’re going too far, Parviz?” Mozaffar asked.

“Too far?” Parviz sneered at him. “Mozaffar, we haven’t gone far enough! If the Artesh halts its advance now, Jerusalem will seize the opportunity to strike back!”

“They literally nuked themselves, though.”

“And yet they still have enough soldiers left over for a civil war! If they can do that, then surely they have enough troops ready to invade Persia!”

“Kos e sher, Parviz. You know it.”

Parviz shrugged. “So what? The people will believe it anyways. They see our tanks running out of fuel and our troops stopping in their tracks, and the natural next step would be to assume they’re about to become mincemeat.”

Isn’t that straight out of Bysandros Malecares’ playbook? “Surely you can go about al-Khwarizmi in a more diplomatic manner.”

“I already did, but it seems that incompetent CEO can’t even keep his own employees in line,” Parviz said, “So I guess I’ll do his job for him. We need to keep that oil flowing.”

A computer chimed. Parviz peered at the screen and shook his head. “Oh, I forgot to tell you this earlier, but I think you should see it for yourself.”

Mozaffar peered at the computer. A recent article from the Isfahan Times had just been sent to them.

“MINISTER MOZAFFAR ACCUSED OF SECRET FINANCIAL DEALINGS, NEPOTISM”

He quickly scanned the rest of the article. It seemed that the Isfahan Times had received, from an anonymous source, various documents relating to how Mozaffar gained his office. These documents included financial transactions, phone transcripts, and bank records which allegedly proved Mozaffar had only gotten into politics and rose to his office through deals with certain lobbyists and political figures. Fortunately, they didn’t name Uncle Abbas. “How…how did they get all that?”

“Beats me,” Parviz said, “We probably have a leak.”

“Who do you think it is?”

“I don’t know. Maybe Hafez from Accounting? Never liked that guy.”

“Look into it, now.” Mozaffar took on a stern tone. “I cannot have these allegations swirling around me when I am due to become chancellor in four days.”

“Yes, yes, I will look into it,” Parviz said.

Another staffer ran up to them. “Minister Mozaffar, we need you back in the war room.”

“What for?”

“There’s this new video making the rounds online. Claims to show Artesh soldiers executing captured Crusaders.”

“That’s impossible,” Parviz said, “We couldn’t even take prisoners to begin with.”

That was the official narrative. As the Crusaders retreated from Isfahan on April 2, they all did so as a monolith, without any dissenters or defectors. They only did two things: attempt to retreat westwards and shoot anybody attacking them. And so the Artesh came down hard on them as they did so. It was much easier than dealing with the human waves in Mesopotamia. Officially, the vast majority of Operation Gaugamela was annihilated, their bodies still rotting across western Persia. The survivors all escaped back into Jerusalem. No prisoners were taken.

At least, that was what he had been told.

“It must be a doctored video,” Mozaffar said, “You know how impressive machine-generated footage can be these days.”

“Yes, it’s obviously another of the Anniona brat’s ploys to take us down,” Parviz said.

“I might as well see it for myself, though,” Mozaffar said, “See just how outlandish it is.”

“Right, right, I shouldn’t be keeping you, then,” Parviz said.

“I’ll see you later. And I fully expect you to have a solution for al-Khwarizmi ready to go.”

Mozaffar left the Music Hall and followed the staffer downstairs. Once he was far enough away from Parviz, he smiled. Yes, Parviz, you’re on the right track. Someone did leak the information to the press. But it wasn’t Hafez.

“Sir?” the staffer said. “Is something the matter?”

Mozaffar shook his head. “No, it’s nothing. Just thinking about my inevitable victory in four days.”

---

Julian, Angelica, and Tania leaned over the table, looking closely at a map of Isfahan. Certain locations had been either circled or crossed out. In lieu of counters, they used random items they could get their hands on—paper clips, toothpaste caps, rings, coins, and so on—to mark police and military locations. Currently, most of them were concentrated in the northwest.

“Just as planned,” Julian said, “The strikers are putting up a hell of a fight.”

“Can’t believe Mozaffar took the bait so easily,” Angelica said, “Tanks too? He must be getting desperate.”

“The more personnel he sends to al-Khwarizmi’s refineries, the better. There will be fewer left over for the city itself. Tania, have you scouted out the area?”

“I have. The military presence has been significantly reduced. I dare say some blindspots have opened up.” Tania laid out a second map. One building in particular was circled, as was a route leading to it. “I think we can get this done.”

Julian nodded. “Good. I see you’ve already marked a route of infiltration?”

“Yes. I’ve taken advantage of the blindspots as best as I could.”

“Angelica, you know what you have to do, right?”

“Yes,” Angelica said, “Nothing the old X-Division can’t handle.”

“In the meantime, I’ll cause more disruptions in downtown,” Julian said, “I still have plenty of cards left to play.”

“I’m excited,” Angelica said, “How about you, Tani?”

“So this is what my aunt used to do, huh?” Tania said. “Can’t say it isn’t exciting, but I’m a little nervous.”

“Don’t worry,” Angelica said, “As long as we have Julian, we have this in the bag.”

“Right, Julian will deliver.”

Julian nervously laughed. “Heh, you guys are giving me too much pressure and credit. I’m not some god.”

“But you’ve done so much already, gotten us this far.”

“Only because I had the help of so many people like you two,” Julian said, “Give yourselves some credit.”

“I suppose so,” Tania said.

“Anyways, get some rest,” Julian said, “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

The others left the room. Julian quickly set about packing everything up. In case their hideout was located, he had to make sure there was nothing that could incriminate them or jeopardize the operation. Once that was done, Julian slumped into his chair and thought over his plan one last time.

I would like to say this is foolproof, but I can’t. No plan is foolproof. You just have to make sure to minimize the chances of the worst happening. And I have. But is it enough? Have I planned far enough ahead? Is Mozaffar expecting me? No, I’ve made my contingencies. I’ve covered all of them, and any possible plays on his side. This plan will succeed.

It must succeed. In Eva’s name.

---

Alex heard footsteps in the distance, drawing closer. Then there was a beep as a guard swiped his keycard, and the heavy door slowly creaked open.

“Good news, you have a visitor.” The guard stepped aside, revealing Theodor Tesla.

The ex-CEO and regent waved smugly. “Hello, Alex.”

Alex shot to his feet and shook his fist. “YOU!”

Theodor only smiled. “Yes, me.”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here,” Alex said.

Josh stirred awake. “What is it—huh, didn’t expect you’d to show.”

“Good day, boys,” Theodor said, “I hope you’re enjoying prison.”

“As if you’re not stuck here with us,” Alex said.

“As a matter of fact, I’m not.” Theodora raised his hands. His free, unshackled hands. “Straight from Regent Mozaffar’s desk. I’m pardoned, as of today.”

“P-Pardoned?” Alex’s face grew red and his heart sunk as the words sunk in. “PARDONED?!” He threw himself at Theodor without hesitation, but the guard slammed the butt of his rifle into his stomach. The wind knocked out of him, Alex crumpled to the floor, gasping and groaning.

“That’s no way to greet a guest,” Theodor said, “Unless you want your sentence to be made harsher. You know, I hear they’re already considering the death penalty.”

“Why…does a man like you…get to go free?!” Alex said.

Theodor shrugged. “What can I say? Mozaffar and his people appreciate my skills. Especially with regards to Panopticons. This is a meritocracy, after all.”

“Says the guy who stole and bought his way to power.”

“All baseless lies and slander you’ve got no way to prove.” Theodor dismissively waved at the air. “What are you going to do, use Malecares as a source?”

“Now you know the truth of this world,” Josh said, “People will always do whatever it takes to get ahead. Values mean nothing in the face of ultimate victory. Idealists will always be eaten by the vultures.”

He turned to Theodor. “So when can I expect to be released?”

Theodor paused for a moment. And then he suddenly burst into laughter. “AHAHAHAHAHA! Good one, Josh.”

“I’m serious.”

The mirth disappeared from Theodor’s face. “And so am I. You’re staying right where you are.”

“But…but…” Josh’s tone was filled with panic and fear now. If Alex’s stomach and diaphragm weren’t racked with pain, he would have laughed as well at the sheer irony of Josh’s edgy statement right before Theodor’s revelation. “What is the meaning of this, Regent?! I…I served you loyally for years! Since before Jerusalem! It…it is only right for me…to be released alongside you!”

“Oh, quit your whining, Johansen.” Theodor’s face hardened. “You are nothing.”

“N-Nothing?”

“Yes, nothing,” Theodor said, “Only the best of the best deserve the honor of working for me. If you’re not, you are not fit to be in my presence. And you, Johansen, have failed miserably in every way.”

“But my record! I served Argus during the old regime, suppressing leftists and deviants to save our nation and values from complete destruction! I served loyally in East Africa! I was there on Bloody Tuesday, helping purge the party cartel! I was there on Red Christmas! I murdered Chancellor Jayapal and crippled Jayasimha! I wiped out X-Division! I purged Die Zeiten and other enemies of the state! I killed Chancellor Kirova! I served on the front lines in this war as a loyal servant of God, bringing the light of Christ and civilization to the pagans! I…I was the spearhead in Gaugamela! You can’t call me nothing and throw me away just like that!”

Theodor shook his head. “On the contrary, I can. The fact is you failed in Gaugamela. Not only did you fail to complete any of your objectives, and not only did you disobey my direct orders to go fulfill your own personal vendetta, but you also failed to fulfill said vendetta. I can’t believe you, the man who defeated X-Division and killed Chancellor Kirova when so many others before you failed, got defeated by three civilians, two of whom were women. Only one of them was using a gun too! They beat you with chairs and baseball bats! You had the latest in Tesla Dynamic’s powered armor technology, as well as a damn Panopticon! And yet those…those simpletons crushed you! Unacceptable. Unbelievable. You are a liability. You are not fit to be my soldier, you disgrace.”

For a moment, Alex thought he saw a hint of relief on Theodor’s face, as if he had been meaning to say that for some time. Turning back to Josh, all he could see on the younger man’s face was rage.

“HOW DARE YOU TREAT ME LIKE THAT!” Josh was the next one to launch himself at Theodor, but the chain caught him before he could reach Theodor, and he faceplanted into the ground. For good measure, the guard then slammed his rifle into Josh’s back. “I AM A HOLY CRUSADER! JERUSALEM’S STRONGEST SOLDIER! I DEMAND THE RESPECT I DESERVE!”

“This is the respect you deserve,” Theodor said, “Oh, and by the way. As per the terms of my pardon, I’ve agreed to testify against you at the war crimes tribunal. You can expect a recording of this conversation to be used as evidence.”

“You…WERE RECORDING THIS?!” Josh said.

Alex couldn’t resist anymore. His mouth opened and he heaved and wheezed as he tried to laugh, but it just worsened the pain in his diaphragm. Still, he couldn’t stop.

“Yep, I recorded this.” Theodor held up a recording device. “It turns out you’ve done me one final act of service. So I must thank you for admitting to all of your crimes. I thought it would take a few attempts and your Panopticon’s data. Still going to extract the data anyways, to be sure. The prosecution wants an ironclad argument.”

“TRAITOR!” Josh said. “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! AFTER ALL I DID FOR JERUSALEM! FOR YOU!”

“Wow, someone sure is a bootlicker,” Alex muttered, “What was that you were just saying? The truth of the world, people doing whatever it takes to get ahead? Values meaning nothing? Looks like you’re just meal for the vultures now.”

“I’LL KILL YOU, ALEX!”

“You have to get over here first.” Alex pointed at Josh’s chain. “And I thought we were finally getting along.”

“RRAAAAAAAAAAA!” Josh angrily pounded the concrete floor.

“Looks like you two have a lot of catching up to do,” Theodor said, “So I’ll leave you to it. Mozaffar’s got me on a very strict schedule today. Got to run!”

He stepped out of the cell with another obnoxious wave. The guard followed suit, slamming the door behind him.

“Oh, this is just rich!” Alex said. “Why does my week keep getting better and better?”

“You do know you’re going to be sentenced to death, right?”

Alex leaned against the wall and grinned, taking in the sight of Josh still sprawled on the floor. “Well, at least I’ll die happy.”

---

In Definitive Edition, I feel like retconning al-Khwarizmi into the early stages of NWO as the big oil company at the center of the Mossadegh incident. My intent is they were an oil company that branched out into renewable energy, hence why they got funding for the Atar fusion reactor.

 

[Orror SANESS]

Interesting!

Now that they have branched out, will they stay on the path of renewables, go back to oil, or get destroyed by Julian?

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Letting Theodor walk free Operation Paperclip style, unjustly giving Alex the death penalty, and suppressing protestors. It TTL Persia isn't as corrupt and oppressive as OTL Iran, then it's getting there.

Pretty funny to see Theodor shit talk Josh like that after spending so long being terrified of him. He might live to regret that tho should Josh get free for any reason, maybe as a consequence of Julian breaking Alex out of prison.

I feel like Julian focusing his efforts on discrediting Mozaffar is going to backfire when Mozaffar in reality is the only sane person in the government and allow Pariz to go even harder on heavy handed represion. In fairness, tho I don’t think Parviz has Mo’s popularity, hence the implication that Mozaffar doctored and leaked that information himself to weaken the government's legitimacy.

In Definitive Edition, I feel like retconning al-Khwarizmi into the early stages of NWO as the big oil company at the center of the Mossadegh incident. My intent is they were an oil company that branched out into renewable energy, hence why they got funding for the Atar fusion reactor.

Interesting. I would argue for making the history of this corporation to go back even further, with ties to the to the fascist regimes of the interwar period and WW2. I could see them being crucial to Reza Khan's rise to power in the 1920s and 50s, with them getting Roman help in the 50s (though I could definitely see Angelos playing a hand in the 20s).

Also I wonder about the territory the Reich took from Persia by the end of WW1 and gave back in the start of the Cold War, as well as some of the land the Reich's been taking from Persia since EU4. I wonder about why the Romans would make that decision in NWO, and if this land exchange would result in Roman minorities in Persia and Persian minorities in the Reich?

Come to think of it, I'm surprised that Persia is still using oil for cars and other vehicles while Jerusalem converted to electric vehicles, since Persia is closer to Afghanistan's large supply of lithium and EV metals, something that Jerusalem wouldn't have access to, at least before this war?

 

[zenphoenix]

Interesting!

Now that they have branched out, will they stay on the path of renewables, go back to oil, or get destroyed by Julian?

It remains to be seen.

Letting Theodor walk free Operation Paperclip style, unjustly giving Alex the death penalty, and suppressing protestors. It TTL Persia isn't as corrupt and oppressive as OTL Iran, then it's getting there.

All it needs now is for the Zoroastrian priesthood to seize direct power and impose religious law.

Pretty funny to see Theodor shit talk Josh like that after spending so long being terrified of him. He might live to regret that tho should Josh get free for any reason, maybe as a consequence of Julian breaking Alex out of prison.

Theodor finally feels safe enough to say what he truly thinks about Josh. Though if Josh ever gets out, that would not end well.

I feel like Julian focusing his efforts on discrediting Mozaffar is going to backfire when Mozaffar in reality is the only sane person in the government and allow Pariz to go even harder on heavy handed represion. In fairness, tho I don’t think Parviz has Mo’s popularity, hence the implication that Mozaffar doctored and leaked that information himself to weaken the government's legitimacy.

Parviz only has power as the Majlis sees fit to give him it. He is the legislature's weapon against Mozaffar and Abbas, responsible for screwing up Abbas' attempt to retire with his legacy intact. Mozaffar was forced into his current role because of the threat of Parviz taking the job instead and not having any qualms about doing it. That threat would evaporate if the entire current administration, Parviz included, was delegitimized.

Interesting. I would argue for making the history of this corporation to go back even further, with ties to the to the fascist regimes of the interwar period and WW2. I could see them being crucial to Reza Khan's rise to power in the 1920s and 50s, with them getting Roman help in the 50s (though I could definitely see Angelos playing a hand in the 20s).

Maybe we could go even further and have them emerge during the era of the Roman concessions on the Persian Gulf and Persia's landlocking.

Also I wonder about the territory the Reich took from Persia by the end of WW1 and gave back in the start of the Cold War, as well as some of the land the Reich's been taking from Persia since EU4. I wonder about why the Romans would make that decision in NWO, and if this land exchange would result in Roman minorities in Persia and Persian minorities in the Reich?

The WWI concessions were probably still majority Persian when they were given back to Persia during the Cold War, but the areas which saw significant Roman settlement remained with the Reich, which is why there were still border disputes into the 21st century. As for the EU4 conquests, those have mostly remained with the Reich. That's not to say there were some Roman communities which found themselves in Persia and vice versa though, but there weren't too many of them.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised that Persia is still using oil for cars and Jerusalem converted to electric cars, since Persia is closer to Afghanistan's large supply of lithium and EV metals, something that Jerusalem wouldn't have access to, at least before this war?

Persia would want to invest in its own oil industry to support local jobs and to stick it to Jerusalem. Jerusalem, meanwhile, has other places it can take lithium and rare earths from, such as Bohemia.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Persia would want to invest in its own oil industry to support local jobs and to stick it to Jerusalem. Jerusalem, meanwhile, has other places it can take lithium and rare earths from, such as Bohemia.

At least places like Afganistan and Africa can make a pretty hefty windfall by exploiting their own supplies of EV metals by themselves after this war.

Since we've been talking about mechs for a while, I wonder what resource will fuel them and other vehicles like spaceships in Stellaris, oil, rare earths, betharium?

 

[zenphoenix]

At least places like Afganistan and Africa can make a pretty hefty windfall by exploiting their own supplies of EV metals by themselves after this war.

The issue is rebuilding all of the destroyed supply lines, though. Can't really make money on your natural resources if there's nobody to buy them or no way to deliver them to your customers.

Since we've been talking about mechs for a while, I wonder what resource will fuel them and other vehicles like spaceships in Stellaris, oil, rare earths, betharium?

I'm going to go over it in the future, but right now it should be quite obvious that traditional power sources like oil won't be practical for them.

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

A shame to see Theodor thriving, but you've got to admit he's an enjoyable awful man. Him taking the wind of out of Josh's sails is quite nice.

 

[TWR97]

Well that's just great, Theodor gets to walk away scot free. What a load of bull indeed, but then again, this does feel like an Operation Paperclip sort of gig. What a shame.

 

[zenphoenix]

A shame to see Theodor thriving, but you've got to admit he's an enjoyable awful man. Him taking the wind of out of Josh's sails is quite nice.

It's also great to see two villains turning on each other so viciously.

Well that's just great, Theodor gets to walk away scot free. What a load of bull indeed, but then again, this does feel like an Operation Paperclip sort of gig. What a shame.

Another friendly reminder that Thea is the actual inventor and most of what Theodor claims to know or have made was actually stolen from someone else. The government is getting exactly what it bargained for.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

I just had a scary thought just now, what if the reason the Persian government pardoned Theodor isn’t just because they want his help with the Atar reactor Operation Paperclip style , but also because they want him to be the face of the new Roman puppet regime they want to set up to legitimatize their claims in a war that is now completely unjustidied due to their monstrous treatment of the Roman exiles and Jerusalem falling apart on its own (meaning that Persia has no reason to still be in Mesopotamia aside from imperialism). It makes sense since you said they would want to set up a proxy government that would be easier to manipulate than the loyalists in order to justify a war that has become imperialist and press their claims, and who better to have as a representative of that puppet regime to continue fighting this war for than Theodor. Heck, Theodor‘s unpopularity as a former Commitee leader would make it easier for the Persians to send in troops to prop up their puppet dictatorship designed to make the Reich subvariant to Persia and its evil ambitions.

 

[zenphoenix]

I just had a scary thought just now, what if the reason the Persian government pardoned Theodor isn’t just because they want his help with the Atar reactor Operation Paperclip style , but also because they want him to be the face of the new Roman puppet regime they want to set up to legitimatize their claims in a war that is now completely unjustidied due to their monstrous treatment of the Roman exiles and Jerusalem falling apart on its own (meaning that Persia has no reason to still be in Mesopotamia aside from imperialism). It makes sense since you said they would want to set up a proxy government that would be easier to manipulate than the loyalists in order to justify a war that has become imperialist and press their claims, and who better to have as a representative of that puppet regime to continue fighting this war for than Theodor. Heck, Theodor‘s unpopularity as a former Commitee leader would make it easier for the Persians to send in troops to prop up their puppet dictatorship designed to make the Reich subvariant to Persia and its evil ambitions.

I personally haven't thought of it that way, but now that you bring it up, that would be in the Persian government's interests for the postwar order.

 

[zenphoenix]

The Caliph’s Request​

Tabriz

“You’re kidding me.” Izinchi winced. “That’s what you want?”

Caliph Orhan V von Osmanli—though these days he took offense if anybody addressed him with the “von”—leaned across the table and firmly placed his palms down. “I don’t seen any problem with my request. Do you?”

“For starters, nobody is going to recognize these terms once the war ends.” She pushed the documents back across the table. “A fully independent Muslim state in Mesopotamia? Mesopotamia is sovereign Roman territory.”

“Sovereign Roman territory?” Orhan laughed. “That’s a good joke. The Reich is dead. Your attempts to bring them back will be as successful as necromancy. After what Mozaffar did, your group has as much legitimacy to succeeding the Reich as we do.”

Over the last few weeks, as Börte advanced through Mesopotamia and Jerusalemite authority east of Syria collapsed, the people of the Middle East rose up in rebellion. The security forces assigned to guard and control the Imperial Homelands of Kurdistan and Arabia were deployed to the front lines. The people imprisoned there saw an opportunity to escape. Rallying around Caliph Orhan V, the prisoners of Imperial Homeland Arabia killed the remaining guards and escaped. Although many of them would die during the arduous trek across the deserts of Arabia, Orhan survived and made his way to Tabriz, inspiring an uprising by its people against the weakened Crusader garrison. The last refuge of Islam in the Middle East once again became a caliph’s capital, from which Orhan began building an army. In the days following the nuclear attacks, Igre had intercepted radio transmissions from Tabriz by Orhan calling on Muslims everywhere to rise up against Jerusalem.

“No thanks to your efforts,” Gebhard said.

“As caliph, I’m only doing my best to protect the Dar al-Islam,” Orhan said, “Our people have spent the last thousand years being tortured, enslaved, murdered, and demonized. We’re done living under a Reich that has done nothing for us. Meanwhile, you’re all stuck in the past, clinging to a nation that was founded on hatred and violence. Ms. Ochimeca, do you not see the irony in reviving an empire that once did the same to your ancestors?”

“I don’t deny they treated my ancestors like that,” Izinchi said, “But I also believe in the values the Reich stands for, even if they aren’t always upheld. I hoped that by participating in the system, I could fix things for my people. That I could bring the Reich closer to what it claims to be. That my ancestors’ suffering wouldn’t have been for nothing in the end.”

“But at the very end of the Reich, you have to look back,” Orhan said, “You’ve failed in every possible way. The Reich became Jerusalem and embraced the hatred. Your people and mine both were targeted for systematic murder. Mine for a third time, I have to remind you.”

Most people would just focus on the Holocaust and Jerusalem, but Orhan also invoked Saint Wilhelmina’s purges.

“Look, I know you don’t have the highest opinion of us Romans,” Izinchi said, “But I promise, we are going to do things differently. We have to, otherwise Jerusalem will return.”

“Your promises mean nothing to me,” Orhan said, “Otto the Great promised many things, but he didn’t care about us in the end. Generations of chancellors said whatever they wanted in their campaigns but never delivered.”

“I think that’s just politicians in general,” Gebhard said.

“What—was—that—ye—said?” Izinchi looked at him with a wide smile on her face. “Care—to—repeat—yerself?”

“Uh…” Gebhard shutup. “I mean…the stereotypical ones. Not that you’re stereotypical…”

“Aye, right!” Izinchi turned back to Orhan and switched to the Brandenburg accent. “I get it, you’re frustrated and all. We’ve run out of excuses. But we’re going to be rebuilding the government once this war ends, and it can take any form we want it to. Shouldn’t that be a good reason to participate? So you get your say at how the Reich returns?”

“First off, I don’t think you should hide yourself,” Orhan said.

“Come again?”

“Your accent, I mean. You sound more authentic when you don’t speak like the ‘stereotypical ones’, as your old general so put it. Perhaps I would have gotten a better first impression of you if you spoke with your normal accent. Instead of pretending to be…stereotypical.”

“I’m used to speaking like this with dignitaries.” Unless it’s with Mozaffar and his cronies.

“And second, you’re assuming I want the Reich to return. As I’ve already said, I want nothing to do with a Reich that has only caused Muslims to suffer. At the end of the Reich’s history, you must realize your efforts have failed. Your ancestors’ suffering never amounted to anything. Mine just led to more and more suffering. Reanimating the mangled corpse of the Reich at this point would only be a further insult to them. It is my duty—no, my moral obligation—to reject the Reich and all it stands for.”

“You don’t know what you’re doing, Orhan,” Izinchi said.

“Caliph Orhan.” Orhan held up a finger. “See what I mean? That casual disregard.”

“Alright, I think yer havering now.”

“It starts like that. The casual disregard. The disrespect. Forgetting our customs and our honorifics. And then not forgetting, erasing. I’m no longer a caliph, but just Orhan. My people are no longer who they are, just Muslim. And when you start stripping away what makes them unique, they become a monolith. Then the insults start. Goat-lover. Fanatic. Sand people. Cultist. Pigs. They can’t defend themselves anymore, because people have forgotten that they’re people too. And finally comes the dehumanization. The forced expulsions. The diaspora. The child abductions. The residential schools. And at the very end, the nakba. Genocide.”

“Look, if you’re angry I forgot your title, then I apologize,” Izinchi said, “It was an honest mistake.”

“I’m sure it was on your part, but for many of your colleagues, it is not,” Orhan said, “Anyways, we have been sidetracked enough. Back to the terms.”

“Wee men above, I didn’t know it would be so complicated asking if our convoy could stay in your city for a few days.”

“If it were only up to me, I’d have already gotten some housing set aside,” Orhan said, “I may have my principles, but I’m not cruel. The issue is the people themselves. I hope I don’t have to explain it to you, seeing as you just came from Isfahan.”

“Look, Caliph Orhan, we’re only here as long as it takes to complete our military operation in Baku,” Gebhard said, “We won’t overstay our welcome.”

“And I know that, since you realistically can’t,” Orhan said, “But the people of this city have just been liberated from Jerusalem. Many of them came straight from the Imperial Homelands or the nuked cities. You know how they’ll feel about you.”

“But you’re their leader!” Izinchi said. “Can’t you convince them?”

“Could you have convinced the old Diet to protect the Nahua?” Orhan shook his head. “It is one thing to rise to power. It is another to hold it. When you sit in the leader’s chair, you are beholden to the interests of your people. Just as you lead the people, they push you to where they want to go. Sometimes, you can’t fight the wind. I may be a caliph, but that title hinges on the continued support of my people.” He pointed to the documents. “I didn’t write this. My cabinet did, because they see an opportunity to achieve our goals.”

“Don’t act like you’re not part of this,” Izinchi said.

“Of course I am part of it,” Orhan said, “I do want an independent Muslim state. But using you as a political tool to achieve that? That would only stain any future nation we create.”

“So fight against it! Tell them!”

“And then what?” Orhan gestured out the window. “I tell my cabinet that I don’t like my own terms. I tell my people that the deal isn’t going through. All the while, your convoy is still approaching Tabriz without slowing down. It becomes clear I’ve been paid off by you. Convinced. Threatened. Puppeted. Doesn’t matter what, but my leadership has been compromised. My cabinet deposes me and says I’m unfit to rule as a caliph. They form a regency. They won’t be as hesitant or forgiving as I am. Your convoy gets annihilated three days from now by a thousands-strong civilian militia, blaming you for the hell of the Imperial Homelands.”

“But surely you can just appeal to the common people, right?” Izinchi said. “Tell them this is all on the cabinet for using us like this.”

Orhan looked down, disappointed. “Ms. Ochiimeca, I expected better of you.” He angrily jabbed the documents multiple times. “The people think exactly the same as the cabinet. After what they’ve been through, they are out for blood.”

“So what do you expect us to do?” Izinchi said. “March past Tabriz?”

“I don’t mean this in a malicious way,” Orhan said, “It’s safer for all of us. You can get out of agreeing to these terms, I keep my position, and the people of this city don’t murder you.”

“Feels like it benefits you more than us.”

“That’s just how things are these days.” There was a hint of sadness to the caliph’s words. “I never wanted my people’s new homeland to be built on a foundation of blood. This minimizes bloodshed.”

“We will probably starve to death within a couple weeks, you know.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Orhan said, “One of the five pillars of Islam is zakat, which says we should give back to the poor and needy. I fear that in doing this, everybody in this city forgot that. But this is the only way forward for us.”

“I…I…” Izinchi tried to say something, but she couldn’t figure out what to say. She couldn’t comprehend that a leader couldn’t just get things done. The government in exile worked fine enough, both in Russia and Persia. It seemed like the likes of Kohl and Merkel did what they wanted to in their administrations. And the monarchy was the same. Otto the Great simply issued decrees and edicts like it was nothing. She personally thought that was dangerously close to absolutism, but she couldn’t deny it was effective. Then again, everything he decreed was already firmly in line with public sentiment. The only major opposition he had was with the Church and the nobility, but he still overrode them. So to see Caliph Orhan here explaining that his hands were tied was a shock to her. If all those chancellors and Otto could do whatever they needed, then why couldn’t Orhan?

Orhan noticed Izinchi’s distress. “I see. You’ve never even comprehended a leader could be like this, haven’t you?”

“I always wanted more checks on executive power, both civilian and imperial,” Izinchi said, “But I don’t think I’ve ever comprehended what that would mean.”

“Because you never were in power yourself. Your governments in exile may claim to be the legitimate successors to the old regime, but by definition as a legitimate successor they can’t be the old regime. You don’t have a whole Diet, chosen from among the people, to work with, nor do you have a full cabinet, or constituents to represent. You just gave yourselves titles and went through the motions, without anything to back it up. That’s how Mozaffar blew it all away with the stroke of a pen, like dust in the wind. No good leader exists without opposition, without responding to the will of the people. No opposition means you won’t truly understand the concerns facing your people, and you grow out of touch, lost in your own echo chamber.” Like Jerusalem. Its leaders claimed they got things done, but at what cost? “A good leader knows how to work with the people. You can try to nudge them on the right path, but you can’t force them to walk it. People don’t like being forced to do something, and they’ll push back hard.”

“So the people will lead you as much as you lead them.”

Orhan nodded. “Whether through the general public, the legislature, or the cabinet. I’m not suggesting your idealism is bad—it’s actually a breath of fresh air for me, being surrounded by so much pessimism and anger. But it needs to be realistic. You won’t be able to achieve all of the goals you set out to do. You won’t be able to satisfy everybody. In the worst cases, you won’t be able to save everybody. And sometimes, you have to make tough calls. I’m making a tough call right now. You should make one as well.”

---

Izinchi and Gebhard left Orhan’s residence and got into a waiting car before anybody noticed them. Once they were on their way, Izinchi punched her seat cushion. “GODSDAMNIT!”

“Calm down, Izinchi,” Gebhard said, “You knew this was going to happen.”

“Has the entire world gone daft?! First Mozaffar, and now this lad? What the bloody ‘ell happened tae the old spirit of Romanitas?”

“Jerusalem happened,” Gebhard said, “Now that Jerusalem’s hopefully on its way out, all of its victims want vengeance. Same as us, really. Only they don’t want the same thing we do.”

“Can they all just…I dinnae ken, understand we’re going tae dae things differently this time?”

“As the caliph said earlier, we’ve run out of credit,” Gebhard said, “The bill’s come due. Nothing we say can avoid that.”

“Suppose that’s why we’re fleeing tae Astrakhan with twenty thousand refugees,” Izinchi said, “Instead of leading an army tae the Mediterranean.”

We’ve got nothing tae back ourselves up. Nae popular support, few troops, nae international backing. We really are a pathetic excuse of the last remains of the Reich. Izinchi’s face dropped. Her eyes wandered down to the floor. “Maybe the Reich’s time is over.”

“Don’t lose hope,” Gebhard said, “You heard what Caliph Orhan said in there. A good leader has to ready to make tough calls. This is one tough call. You didn’t get what you wanted, so now you have to figure something else out.”

“But what?” Izinchi said. “We’re still on track tae starving.”

“If you don’t know, then ask the people,” Gebhard said, “There’s twenty thousand of us. I’m sure there will be plenty of ideas. Figure out the best one and use it. That’s what a leader should do.”

“I…I suppose so,” Izinchi said, “I’m just…shocked this is happening. I ken there’d be some backlash tae what Jerusalem did, but I never expected it would be directed against us, and I never thought it would happen so quickly. And I dinnae expect it tae come from fellow Romans.”

“I know, I know,” Gebhard said, “Sometimes, I feel the same way. Part of me’s worried this is only the beginning, actually.”

“The…the beginning?”

“Caliph Orhan couldn’t have been the only one doing something like this. There are probably other separatist factions rallying disillusioned Romans across Jerusalem. Anti-Roman sentiment isn’t limited to just Persians, you know. If the Muslims of Tabriz have already given up on the Reich, then it’s fair to assume other groups further west will have as well.”

“That’s…that’s terrifying!” Izinchi was starting to panic. “What have I been fighting fer?” She punched her seat again. “If nobody wants tae be Roman anymore, has everything we fought for been fer nothing?”

“Calm down, Izinchi,” Gebhard said, “Remember, not everybody is going to agree with you. That comes with being a leader.”

“Aye, but if nobody agrees with me…”

“Twenty thousand people beg to differ. They agree with you enough to still be here.”

“Probably because they’d be murdered anywhere else.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. They still follow you in the end. It’s up to you to represent them. It may not be what you originally wanted, but it’s what you’ve got now.”

“But…but what can I…”

Gebhard shook his head. “I can’t answer that for you. Or at least I can only answer with what you already know. You have to figure out what to do next, for the twenty thousand’s survival.”

“So…” Izinchi looked out the window, watching the dusty streets of Tabriz zip by. “I always wanted tae be a leader, so I guess I should start acting like one. If it’s becoming increasingly unlikely we’ll restore the old Reich, then we’ll have tae adjust.”

“How so?” Gebhard said.

“I dinnae ken how many people are going tae jump ship, but I have tae prepare for the worst. We have tae preserve as much of the Reich as we can, somewhere else.”

“Like Astrakhan?”

Izinchi nodded. “Yes. The Reich is more than just the Hohenzollerns or its land. As long as people somewhere still believe in the ideals of Friedrich the Great, then the Reich will live on.”

If, in the history books, I’m fated tae be remembered as the “last of” something, then I’d rather follow that up with a “first of.” Better to focus on building something new instead of focusing on a past that can’t be restored.

Then, hopefully, my ancestors’ suffering will nae have been fer nothing.

---

I toned down Izinchi’s Scotticisms to something more realistic.

“Ottoman” is an anglicization. So I replaced it with “Osmanli.”

I know the original idea was for a multicultural/multireligious state, but a caliph is still a religious office at the end of the day, and Muslims would have an incentive to create a state where they can worship in peace after all of the genocide they’ve suffered. A bit like modern Israel.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

I know the original idea was for a multicultural/multireligious state, but a caliph is still a religious office at the end of the day, and Muslims would have an incentive to create a state where they can worship in peace after all of the genocide they’ve suffered. A bit like modern Israel.

Understandable given the current situation and the history of Muslims under the Reich. I still imagine Orhan still wanting Meeca and Medina in the new Muslim state too even after Tabula Rasa. Wouldn’t there also be a large Jewish and Christain population in this new state as well tho?

Like Mozaffar, Orhan is helpless against the currents of anti Roman nationalism surging in both the bureaucracy and the will of the people, very interesting parallel there indeed. Such is the price of popular sovereignty and freedom in an era where governments have to accommodate the wishes of the people when said people are demanding revenge against those not guilty of Jerusalem's actions because they need someone to blame, tho it’s still better than dictatorship. They do still have a good point tho, it's a big ask to return to the status quo that created Jerusalem in the first place, especially after everything the Reich has done to the Ummah in the past. I feel like the Reich's best hope would be reform into something like the Eimerican Federation or OTL EU. There's no hope for the Reich as a country after this, but that doesn't mean Fredrich the Great's dream of Romanitas is necessarily dead, even if for now the various nationalities of the Reich have as much bad blood with each other as they do Germans. After all, the defining trait and fatal flaw of Jerusalem and fascism in general is an obsession with an unattainable past, best that the loyalists should focus on building something new that embodies the ideals of Romanitas and learns from the Reich's mistakes rather than try recreating an archaic empire, making the idea of Roman statehood adapt with the times as it has always done.

I do have to wonder how Tabriz plans on defending itself against Persians though, since sooner or later Persia is going to want to take more territory in the Middle East?

Anyways happy to see Orhan in the story after discussing this idea with you in PM, love how this update turned out. Thought provoking update all around, especially with Orhan encouraging Izinchi to be more authentic and his points about the government respecting the people’s wishes.

 

[Orror SANESS]

Understandable given the current situation and the history of Muslims under the Reich. I still imagine Orhan still wanting Meeca and Medina in the new Muslim state too even after Tabula Rasa. Wouldn’t there also be a large Jewish and Christain population in this new state as well tho?

Like Mozaffar, Orhan is helpless against the currents of anti Roman nationalism surging in both the bureaucracy and the will of the people, very interesting parallel there indeed. Such is the price of popular sovereignty and freedom in an era where governments have to accommodate the wishes of the people when said people are demanding revenge against those not guilty of Jerusalem's actions because they need someone to blame, tho it’s still better than dictatorship. They do still have a good point tho, it's a big ask to return to the status quo that created Jerusalem in the first place, especially after everything the Reich has done to the Ummah in the past. I feel like the Reich's best hope would be reform into something like the Eimerican Federation or OTL EU. There's no hope for the Reich as a country after this, but that doesn't mean Fredrich the Great's dream of Romanitas is necessarily dead, even if for now the various nationalities of the Reich have as much bad blood with each other as they do Germans. After all, the defining trait and fatal flaw of Jerusalem and fascism in general is an obsession with an unattainable past, best that the loyalists should focus on building something new that embodies the ideals of Romanitas and learns from the Reich's mistakes rather than try recreating an archaic empire, making the idea of Roman statehood adapt with the times as it has always done.

I do have to wonder how Tabriz plans on defending itself against Persians though, since sooner or later Persia is going to want to take more territory in the Middle East?

Anyways happy to see Orhan in the story after discussing this idea with you in PM, love how this update turned out. Thought provoking update all around, especially with Orhan encouraging Izinchi to be more authentic and his points about the government respecting the people’s wishes.

As long as people believe in Rome, the dream of Rome lives on

Roma Invicta

Roma Aterna