Prologue

--MAI 13, UNIFIED YEAR 1910, FORMER FEDERATION CAPITAL ST.PRETVESBURG--

"My lord, it is a boy." An elderly woman with a graceful amount of wrinkles depicting her age was wiping away the blood from her hands and smiled at a man that stood nervously by the door when she came outside a room.

"Can I see him?", asked the man with a worried voice. There was, of course, a happy smile lingering on his lips now.

The woman only sighed. "Your Imperial Majesty, you should first let your wife rest with the child before visiting." Her words were now a lot firmer and she even used the proper addressing of the man in front of her.

The men that had black hair just fiddled around in his groomed mustache before nodding. "Then we will come back a later time." He straightened his back and started to move away.

But not even a few meters have passed that he turned back to the wetnurse. "But do inform us as soon as she feels better."

A little chuckle came from the elderly woman and she went back inside the room to the freshly made mother.

"How are you feeling, Irina? I managed it so that husband of yours lets you rest."

The woman that cradled the little child in her bosom with an exhausted look smiled all the while responding to the elderly woman.

"I am fine, Anna. Just somewhat tired. Thank you for the trouble.", answered the woman with long beautiful blonde hair and green eyes.

"Don't mention it. It is a pleasure seeing a new Tsar being born. The last time it was that foolish husband of yours. Time sure is flying by fast. Have you already decided on a name?"

"Yuri. He shall be called Yuri." Irina smiled even more now after telling her the name. And after placing a finger close to one of the baby´s tiny hands, the firm grip in return assured the mother everything was fine with her child.

"Then I will note that down. Yuri Nikolaevich Romany. A good and strong name."

With her duty done she let the woman finally rest together with the baby.

But what both didn´t know was that the baby itself had many different thoughts. Not only was it only now crying, but it surely did so because it's very existence just became this tiny something that had no self-sustainability.

´How in the world did I end up here!!? Nooo!´

"Hey now. Why is my little sunshine crying like this? Shh, mommy is here. So everything is alright.", hushed the woman while comforting the little child after it started crying loudly.

--OCTOBER 20, UNIFIED YEAR 1926, IMPERIAL CAPITAL BERUN. GENERAL STAFF OFFICE WAR ROOM--

Lieutenant-General von Rudersdorf was looking towards his good friend Lieutenant-General von Zettour.

"Are you sure about this plan of yours?", he asked and tried to get a response out of him. The cigar in his mouth still glowing at its tip when he sucked in the nicotine.

"I wish I could just take this weather with me to the east frontline as well.", replied Zettour promptly. "General Winter surely is going to make things a lot more difficult for us."

He didn't even remotely answer the question at hand and only glanced beside him at a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. The imperial uniform he wore was neatly tailored to his body and radiated confidence.

That impression was underlined not only because of it being an iconic symbol of the military but also by the fact that a rather large amount of badges hung on the left side of his chest and his shoulder plates showed a rather high rank for the age this still underaged boy showed.

It let Zettour puff out some smoke of his own cigar into the air while waiting for the boy to finish his thoughts and answer. That is because he was also currently looking outside the window and held his cap behind his waist.

"If we seize the opportunity now, many of my countrymen will follow my lead. The red party had already proved to be an instrument of fear and not revolution. The collected information from the 203rd and my own unit just shows that my people are still not yet to be given up."

He neatly placed his cap on his head and looked back at the two generals. "But do be careful. The communists will be clever enough to use our nationalism to their own advantage as well. Nothing is more fierce than an animal being cornered. It is very much the outcome of the ongoing and further escalating war."

"Colonel von Romany, we should get going then. Or should I call you your Majesty from now on?"

Yuri only smiled at those words from Zettour. "We will see what the future holds. After all, this plan includes making a coup in my own home country, no?"

"Shouldn't you of all people already be prepared for such an action? In the end, that is the very reason you came to the Empire and conscripted yourself to the army, no?", said Rudersdorf and smiled.

He knew this young man well enough by now. "If it somehow ends this damnable war in a stalemate with the Russy I will accept it to let a promising officer as yourself get his will. Gaining a friend in this very dire situation is always welcome. Our Nation has been without any friends for far too long."

"That is to be seen. There are still many factors playing in the shadows. As I have already told you, the Unified States are very close to joining the war on the Alliance side and the Illdoans try to benefit as much as possible by remaining neutral. You should really consider letting the submarines exercise unrestricted warfare as long as it still is possible."

"We can't risk that yet.", denied Zettour while extinguishing the stump of his cigar that had run out.

"And neither can you let the Commonwealth keep getting supplied. At least the Federation is only cooperating reluctantly with the Alliance at the moment and we can hold them off for a while. They will be like vultures to get payback as soon as they get a chance..."

"Can we really trust the Intelligence your people are collecting?" It was Colonel von Lergen that was now asking that question.

Yuri only looked at him with dead eyes. Eyes of a soldier that had many battles behind him. Somehow it seemed that he disliked the way the colonel asked that question.

"They are at least more competent than your Intelligence network. The last time your network blatantly gave us something, it was an order to sink a ship with communist spies on it. Because of that, the Federation now is in a little bit of a peculiar situation and the Commonwealth surely uses that to the fullest."

He sighed lightly while adding more words. "It was information laid on a silver platter. And your guys in Intelligence actually took the bait and proudly presented it to us. That is already something akin to ineptitude...In the end, it will come to be costly later."

Then he walked towards the door to leave the room. But he stopped just short in front of it.

"Oh, before I forget. I hope you prepared enough material for us and also transferred the payment to our service."

"It is already taken care of as usual. I am still surprised your soldiers manage to transport everything so fast and efficiently. You would not be kind enough to tell us how you do it?" Zettour was now interested again.

Yuri just smiled. "I already gave Logistics the blueprint for metal containers. Are you asking for an even easier job, General Zettour?"

Weirdly enough Zettour started to chuckle softly. "You both are really something. Maybe we are getting old, friend." He was referring to Rudersdorf with the second part.

"Are you comparing myself to Lieutenant Colonel von Degurechaff?" Yuri now even raised an eyebrow.

That question rose a reaction from Lergen at the sidelines.

"I would not say you are comparable.", he answered.

"While she is a chaotic factor you seem much better suited for this. It is just that you both come up with interesting viewpoints again and again." He fixed his glasses slightly. "The only concern I have about that child officer is that she seems rather radical with her execution of orders. Most of her solutions are give or break..."

Yuri looked at him. "Is that still your view? I already gave my opinion on her when you investigated her last irrational behavior, didn't I? The L.Colonel is just trying to keep herself distant from responsibility all the while trying to climb the career ladder...She acts on the behst of HQ and the Fatherland in the most effective and logical way possible. But her fear of your harsh retaliation is still present...For all her cold-blooded actions, she is still very childlike..."

He never thought he would ever say that about the girl. She really was sometimes creepily childlike and naive while having a tremendously calculative and manipulative nature.

"Fear, is it? Then why is it that most other officers are more fearful about her than anything...", contemplated Lergen. Even he himself would have to admit he was fearful of her.

"..." Yuri stared at this man as if looking at a conflicted puppy.

"Her mindset is firm. Most seem to misunderstand her. Being cruel and borderline insane? What about it? In war, for every soldier, it is you against the world...And it is you against yourself."

Then he looked back the the two generals.

"There is no room to let your inner demons control you...your emotions and ego will only breed more conflict..."

His wording was clear and Rudersdorf actually grumbled slightly when hearing it. It was clearly aimed at them both for ignoring both these child soldiers veto against doing an armastice.

For all the logical planning that lead to a good result in this war, and ignoring the vengeful spirits of defeat, it is an irony to also fall victim to their own debauchery in their moment of pride.

Rudersdorf was so displeased by the comment that he put away his cigar. At the same time, he also remained silent again.

There was truth in those words and he knew it. This war could have already been over if they just had listened.

"We may only walk the path of real demons now...Well, anyway. I presume we start our journey shortly, General Zettour. Until then, goodbye." With those last added words, Yuri left the room with the gazes of the two generals and the colonel on his back.

'It can't be...', thought Lergen when he came to a realization as well.