Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 60: Time is ticking

"SITREP!" Bryn strode into the underground command center as she ordered. Her officer outfit, consisting of a white long-sleeve shirt and pants, combined with her serious persona has turned her into a no-nonsense beauty.

Agent, who has thus far been manning the fort in the time it took for Bryn to get the ONI command post, cedes the stage to her. Gesturing to the multiple intelligence officers, data stations, and screens around them, the maid says. "Much has occurred ever since the first alert, Lieutenant General." Ever since Yuki has grown to the rank of Reich Marshal, Bryn, as her close aide, also got elevated to a rank befitting her stature. The rank of Lieutenant General and her special identity have effectively made the strongest Valkyrie Yuki's Voice and the official Second in Command of the 404th Ironblood Division.

Agent then operates a nearby holotable, putting a series of helmet cams on a big screen. "First blood has been drawn by our side, General." Her words are punctuated by the replay of a Polanian officer being shot, twice, right after he tried to execute a Slavic child. The shots have come from the Rusviet VIP General and the Belkan Lieutenant in charge of the supply train Thomas. Both of these people opened fire at the same time, hitting the offending officer squarely in the head and center mass. When the gunshots hadn't died down, many of the Polanian soldiers raised their weapons in reflex. This then led to an obvious and understandable reaction from the Rusviet and Belkan soldiers around, they pulled the triggers on the remaining Polanians. After a burst of weapon fire, all of the Polanians are either dead or dying without as much of a chance to retaliate. Uncaring of these evildoers in their eyes, the collective Belkan and Rusviet forces moved in to secure the area, kicking away the guns from the Polanian hands, with the Belkans executing the survivors.

The execution is a cruel but necessary move since their current force is too small to take care of the survivors, and it's not like these Polanians deserve such humanitarian treatment anyway. Bryn must commend Lieutenant Kemper for that calculated decision, which seemed to gain the approval of the Rusviet General too with how he patted the Lieutenant on the shoulder. The General then proceeded to comfort the terrified child who was unfortunate to get a shower of blood in her battered state. The scene then speeds up by Agent, showing the Belkan-Rusviet force boarding their Humvees with the rescued hostage before driving off further into the Slavic neighborhood.

Bryn turns to Agent, awaiting her report. The maid dutifully says while turning on the live video feed from Lieutenant Kemper's group. "The Rusviet VIP, alongside Lieutenant Kemper and their escorts, callsign Alpha, have made contact with the remaining survivors of the Slavic neighborhood. Though they've been distrustful of Alpha's presence at first, the VIP has managed to gain a semblance of trust from them and Alpha is then accepted into the slum area. It's there that they then acquire additional intel that confirms the reports of our undercover agents. The new Polanian Republic, headed by the Revolutionary Command Council, is enforcing its national socialism view by making its ethnic minorities the fall guys. These ethnic minorities are then cordoned off to new living areas with severely lacking amenities. The Republic then espouses anti-foreigner behavior while uplifting the status of the Polanians in the world, effectively trying to create a Polanian-centric narrative in the country and soon-to-be Europe. Spearheading this effort is the dictator raised by the Revolutionary Command Council, President and Chairman of the Council Jakub Jankowski. His ambition is to once again expand the Polanian influence around the world, whereas the former government has been unable to."

Bryn raises an eyebrow. "You're saying as if we've only learned such details just now."

"Unfortunately, lady Bryn, the chaotic nature of this Polanian political coup had made it so that field reports were quite unreliable for some time. Thus making these violations of human rights slipped under the radar. For a while, this Revolutionary Command Council has been fumbling about and trying to get their bearing. It was not until the dictator Jankowsky rose to prominence that they decided on this national socialism outlook. Nevertheless, it's highly unlikely that this new Polania will be able to make any waves on the geopolitical stage. Not when they're still depending on aid importation and their new dictator is consolidating his power. Though the former government was very inept in handling the aftermath of the disaster, thus warranted the coup. The damage is still very much there for this new Republic to rectify." Agent explained.

The maid then bows at Bryn. "My apology for the lack of results from both myself and the field operatives of ONI."

Bryn sighs at Agent's appearance. "Just make sure that we will be more up to speed with our intelligence, especially when it concerns our very neighbors. To think that there's a violation of the Geneva Convention and the best we got recently was unverified is unacceptable for an organization serving directly under the Marshal."

"I will strive to improve on the shortcomings of ONI, General. This mistake will not happen a second time." Agent gave a promise that she would later carry out with absolute certainty.

Bryn nods in acknowledgment of her vow before saying. "Since the Marshal is now taking a hiatus to destress, I will be foreseeing this development in her place. Has there been any movement from this new Republic? I reckon that with the murder of a Captain and his cohorts, this Revolutionary Council would have responded by now, especially if they want to keep words about their violation from getting out."

Agent then pulls up a map of Warsaw, showcasing a force deployment map of the city. "The Polanian dictator has given an order to enforce a blockade of the Slavic slum area. The city's military garrison is moving to surround the site as we speak. They're instructed to treat everyone in the slum who is not wearing their banner as hostiles and to be shot on sight. Alpha will likely be caught in the crossfire, with their elimination being placed on the head of these 'terrorists'."

"Unfortunately for them, our communication technology far exceeds their imagination." Bryn said with her lips curled upward. "Have they made a move on our train?"

Agent shakes her head. "Surprisingly, General, the train, callsign Bravo, appears to be out of their mind for now. There has been a miscommunication in the Polanian command chain apparently, and they have no idea that their Captain's killers are Alpha or are connected to Bravo. They only learn that an unknown party had stormed in and murdered their soldiers and that is it. The train is perfectly in the clear, at least for a short while."

Bryn nods at that. "So that means their avenue of escape is still untouched. Have Alpha been informed of the new developments?"

"We have communicated with Alpha, however, they request to stay and protect the civilians instead of extracting immediately. There's at least a hundred civilians still in the slum and Alpha is working with them to see if they can get some means of transportation working to evacuate them all."

A frown beset Bryn's face at that. "Have you tried ordering them to bring the VIP back?"

Agent shakes her head. "Unfortunately, General, the leaders of Alpha are what you would call Knights in shining armor. Their psych profiles have given me the knowledge that ordering them back would backfire instead. As such, I have taken the liberty to send out a UAV to aid them in the battle that is sure to come."

Bryn sighs at that. "Figured that us Belkans won't just sit back and do nothing about this atrocity. Yet, for a Rusviet VIP to involve himself in this situation is a surprise. Nevertheless, the fact still stands that even if they can start the evacuation process, it will be a bloodbath as they can't cover enough ground fast enough with the civies in tow. We have to tackle this matter on multiple fronts, utilizing both soft and hard approaches to get our soldiers and the Slavic civilians out of harm's way."

Bryn thinks to herself for a bit before continuing. "Get our diplomats on the line, we need to fight a battle of words with the Polanians also, not just guns and bullets. Get the Rusviets involved too since their VIPs and Slavic compatriots are now neck-deep in trouble like ours. While the diplomats are busy arguing, have our agents digging up as much dirt as you can about the Polanian leadership and their misconduct. By the end of this event, I want enough proof to warrant a Casus Belli that brings down the wrath of the entire world on this Revolutionary Council. In addition to that UAV recon flight, sortie a flight of Phantoms. Have them support Alpha and Bravo on the ground using precision-guided munition, and keep them from being seen if possible but not required if the situation warrants a Broken Arrow."

Agent nods, swiftly keying out dispatch orders to the relevant departments.

Bryn adds. "And get me a direct line with the Major General of the 501st Airborne, we may need them as QRF."

"Understood, General." Agent replied before committing to her duty.

Bryn then turns her attention to the video feed from Alpha, showing them moving about and setting up barricades and fighting positions. She is pleasantly surprised when some of the Slavic populace turns up to join the defensive effort with hunting shotguns and rifles. Bryn is unsure as to how they manage to retain them but in this particular situation, more guns are always welcome. It doesn't change the fact that Alpha and the civies are hopelessly outmatched, however, at least until support can arrive. Still, whether they manage to overcome the adversity or not, it's now certain that this incident will be one of the time bombs needed to reignite the time of bloodshed that has been temporarily postponed. When the new normal is restored after the Demonic spawning has subsided, the Belkan-Ustian-Erusean war will be back in full swing, with the potential for a new war against Polania and the beginning of hostility between the Chinese and the Japanese... Then, and only then, will another global war be ignited, and this one promises to truly change the world order forever.

Bryn can't help but feel increasingly excited with each passing day. Her nature as a Valkyrie of War demands her to see through every battle and conflict to witness the ultimate result of the Yuki V2 plan: A world without boundaries.

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