Nach-Exil Joint Occupation Negotiation [FanT/IC/Private]

[Remnants of Exilvania]

The shadows didn't flinch as the Schildmädchen charged, standing still in their combat stances. They stood still even when the Schildmädchen's slashes and stabs met them...and to the surprise of the Schildmädchen met no resistance, slicing through the shadows as though there was nothing there but thick...shadows.

The shadows stayed there for a moment longer, with large gashes to see through them before being dispersed by the Schildmädchen's further slashes and stabs, cutting the shadows apart more and more. Yet they did not vanish and instead the Schildmädchen had created a multitude of flickering fields of shadows floating around them. And it was then that the shadowy beings showed up again, silently and started attacking the Schildmädchen from unexpected angles, being aided by the flickering darkness in the air that hindered the Schildmädchen's vision.



"Oh yes, the blonde bitch the retarded Reichskommandant keeps around as his new pet nowadays. No idea why he is so fascinated with her but perhaps it is just an elaborate scheme to get rid of her. But it is the Reichskommandant so I'm sure he doesn't plan to do something this sensible...yet."

, the shadowy figure said, clearly finding some form of delight in trashtalking both Angelika and Dietrich, never leaving her melee stance. She was ready for the Schildmädchen to fall for her taunts, or, failing that, the urgency of their mission.

[Nachfolgia]

Things were not looking good for the Schildmadchens in the alleyway. Not only did their attacks do nothing to the shadowy figures, but now the figures were on the attack. Despite the Schildmadchen's lightning speed and reflexes, they had a hard time keeping up with their opponents. With each parry and counter attack performed was met with an attack that connected. At this point in the fight, both Schildmadchens were being cut up more than they'd like.

A pause in the fight brought the Schildmadchens to balance up towards each other until they had their backs covered. The Nachfolgians were desperate at this point. They were losing to the freaks in shadows and each second wasted put the Obersterfuhrurin in more danger. They had to do something and fast, given the possibility that the Exilvanians might be after the Obersterfuhrurin.

One of the Schildmadchens began to look at her surroundings, trying to come up with a plan. She noticed that the adjacent alleyway to her right that wasn't blocked by one of the shadowy beings. After a few moments, the maiden had come up with her escape plan to get at least one of them to the Obersterfuhrurin.

" Saeunn, go!!" The Schildmadchen yelled. Using their speed, the two took off towards the adjacent alleyway. While Saeunn kept running as fast as her augmentation would allow, the other maiden stopped in front of the alleyway, blocking the path. She immediately raised her arm and fired a series of three shots into the air. As the nearby Exilvanian soldiers converged on her position, the Schildmadchen activated a powerful strobe light on her gauntlets to blind and disorient the soldiers. This might not be enough to delay the Exilvanians for long, but at least it'll give her comrade some distance to escape.

The team leader didn't take her eyes off the Exilvanian as their showdown was about to begin. Even while the Exilvanian trash talked the Obersterfuhrurin, the Schildmadchen didn't lose her cool. As much as she would love to have the figure's head on a hike, the team leader could not afford to lash out. Her opponents were not ordinary Exilvanians that was certain, so it was unwise to underestimate them.

After some time of silence, the Schildmadchens crotched lower in their combat stance, ready to strike. " Last chance. Step...aside." The Team leader said, this time with venom in her voice. Suddenly, three shots rang out from a couple streets over, causing the Schildmadchens to look in that direction. It was obvious that their comrades had been engaged given the nature of the shots as a distress signal.

Without warning, the team leader activated her high intensity strobe light and attacked the Exilvanian in front of her with a series of fast slashes and stabs. The other Schildmadchen took this as an opportunity to do the same to the other Exilvanian.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

The two shadowy beings had waited just a little, giving the Schildmädchen just a tiny headstart. Afterall they couldn't run, not from them. So they jogged after the two Schidmädchen after having taken a short break while the shadows they left behind in the alley slowly vanished. The shadow that had previously stuck below one of the overhanging ceilings on the other hand had changed positions the moment the Schildmädchen had started running and was chasing them on the rooftops, overtaking them with relative ease.

One Schildmädchen of course had to stop to block the two shadows from following them through the alley. A brave act, truely and the shadows recognised that as they strolled up towards her, maliciously saying:

"Oh, staying behind to cover her escape? What a heroic sacrifice. Heroic yet ultimately futile!"

They charged immediately afterwards, one of them letting out a 'tsk' when the Schildmädchen fired into the air. However, they did not know about all of the gadgets the Schildmädchen carried with them so when she activated the powerful strobe light, it came as a very unwelcome surprise. Practically every Exilvanian had night vision built into his mask, whatever model it may be. It suited their general tactics of striking from the dark. Now though it became a disadvantage to them as the bright light blinded them, rendering their night vision useless and turning it into more of a hindrance. Both of the shadows screamed and did a backflip, away from the light and away from the Schildmädchen's reach their the shadows around them got thicker while obscuring their actions as they frantically tried to switch off the night vision mode and go with normal vision instead.

Now, while Saeunn had gotten precious time to escape, it was of no use as she still had had one shadow above her, one that had overtaken her and had waited for just the right time to strike. A slight darkening off the shadows was all the warning Saeunn got to evade before another shadow slammed into the ground where she had stood just a split second ago, cracking the cobblestones where it landed. The shadow slowly stood up and turned towards Saeunn, saying:

"Now, now Saeunn, just running away is rude. I think I'll have to punish you for that ex-ten-sive-ly. Unless you just surrender now..."



When they heard the shots, the shadow blocking the doorway said:

"Tsk, and here I thought you were better. Already having to resort to lethal force. Not to mention that she just sealed her fate. Army troopers will be here soon and they'll be here in droves."

Again they did not see the blinding light coming and again the shadows screamed and retreated backwards though this time the Nachfolgians pursued, clearly intent on getting rid of them or getting past them. Of course neither of the shadows was dumb and they both knew that the Nachfolgians would use this opportunity to attack so they did everything they could to put some distance between them as well as to increase the amounts of shadows present. It became noticeable very quickly.

Within seconds the entire room they had been in before was filled to the brim with darkness. The strobe lights, while strong in their own right, could not reach too far as the shadows seemed to grow unnaturally thick and almost had the properties of black smoke. Neither of the Nachfolgians was still able to see the other and they couldn't see the Exilvanians they were fighting either. The Exilvanians on the other hand used this opportunity to change their vision modes. Sure they wouldn't see anything in this darkness either now but that was better than to get completely blinded by the strobe lights upon finding and meeting the Schildmädchen. Once that was done, the Exilvanians stood completely still, using their ears as well as feeling how the Nachfolgians disturbed the shadows to find out their location. It worked out for the most part but they had to act carefully. Their attacks came out of the thick shadows and were aimed at the height where they assumed the strobe lights to be, with one simple goal, to destroy the lights so they had all the advantages in their hand again.

The team leader of the Schildmädchen would notice very quickly though that she was fighting two Exilvanians, the rapid strikes of their attacks as well as their superhuman strength offsetting the strobe light caused inaccuracy of their attacks and slowly but surely worsening the state the team leader was in.

[Nachfolgia]

The Schildmadchen's tactic had worked, if only for a second. She had taken a gamble with the strobe light and managed to slow the shadows down. Now she knew for a fact that her enemy had night vision capabilities. When the shadows darted back and encased themselves in shadows, obviously to give them some time to recover, the Schildmadchen decided not to take advantage of the situation. Instead, she focused on the task at hand and rush off towards Saeunn.

Saeunn, who had been darting through the city streets as fast as she could, didn't expect to have a pursuer. It wasn't until the area around her grew unnaturally dark that she knew she was not alone. Having hardly any time to react, Saeunn dodge to her left as the shadow slammed into the ground. Her momentum carried her until her back slammed into a nearby wall.

With her enemy upon her, Saeunn activated her blades and readied herself for combat, staring down her opponent. She didn't have time to be dealing with the shadow right now. Her primary objective was to secure the Obersterfuhrurin at any cost. It didn't matter if she would die at the enemy's hands at this point. If they failed to protect the Obersterfuhrurin and she got hurt or worse, they wouldn't live to see another sunrise.

Just as she was about to pounce, Saeunn heard a scream coming from where she had just ran from.

" Saeunn, go!!"

It was her teammate, catching up to her. The Schildmadchen kept running straight towards the shadow. She activated her strobe light to blind the enemy just like the others, but she didn't stop closing the distance and tried to tackle the shadow. This gave Saeunn the opportunity to take off running again.

The team leader and her partner were having worse luck in the building. The strobe lights may have worked, but they were now in the thick of a large mass of shadows. None of the Schildmadchen could see anything and neither could their opponents. Despite this fact, the Exilvanians were landing blows to the leader from multiple angles. They were targeting her first to take them out one by one.

The team leader, after getting hit, would slash at the air around her from the side she got hit. Unfortunately, none of her attacks landed. After getting hit a couple times in the gauntlets, with little accuracy, the team leader picked up on the fact that her enemy was also blind and we're going after the light. She couldn't, however, turn off the strobe as that was the only thing keeping the enemy from using their night vision capabilities.

With very little options now, the team leader had to carry on with the mission and called out to her teammate I German, commanding her to find an exit and get to the Obersterfuhrurin. Once the command was given, the team leader tried her best to keep the Exilvanians occupied.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Saeunn had received some time to run once more yet her companion had now stopped blocking the alley, allowing the other two shadows to pursue. And they were faster than her by good margin, speeding past the two on the ground like a gust of wind and quickly catching up with Saeunn. As they sped along the alley one of the shadows acted to stop Saeunn dead in her tracks. Within one single, elegant motion the shadow spun around, picking up a metal trashcan that stood there next to a back entrance, continued spinning and then flung the can past her still running comrade and towards the also still running Saeunn.

It was a well aimed throw and with a lot of force behind it. The projectile wasn't something to laugh at either. A roughly 1,3 meter high metal trashcan with a diameter of approximately 45 cm and filled to the brim with trash that had been wrapped in paper bags. Appeared to be mostly meat. Probably some butchery's trashcan. It impacted hard against Saeunn's back, doubtlessly bringing her out of balance. And that was enough time for the other shadow to jump onto her, forcing her down to the ground with the force of her impact and her own weight.

Lying on her stomach, Saeunn would find herself quite dazed after the impact of first a metal trashcan and then a foreign operative. And even if she struggled, the operative now seemed to be in full control. She was sitting on Saeunn's back, out of reach of her legs and, with quick, precise and incredible strong movements took care of both of Saeunn's arms, seemingly effortlessly moving them into a position where Saeunn could barely move them or use their full strength. And there she kept holding them with only one hand though it appeared that that one hand was more than enough.

The shadow then moved closer, bowing down further so it could get closer to Saeunn's head. With its free hand it grabbed Saeunn by the chinn, forcing her to look forward, look towards the end of the alley where sunlight shone onto the street. The hand felt...smooth, clothed in some sort of leather. The unidentifiable voice spoke directly into her ear:

"So close and yet so far. How does it feel to fail...Saeunn?"

Shouts could suddenly be heard from the street. The sound of a motorized vehicle approaching as well as the thumping of boots on pavement. The shadow tsked and added:

"Tsk, even further away from your goal. Drawing attention really wasn't the most necessary thing, wouldn't you agree Saeunn."

Saeunn's teammate on the other hand was still struggling with the shadow on the ground. She definitely got the real thing this time since what she had tackled was both squishy and hard, indicating that there were both meat and bones and not just shadows. Still though, despite the rough impact and the surprise on her side, Saeunn's teammate had quite something to deal with. Her opponent was both stronger and faster than her and utilising these traits to her advantage as best she could, breaking the Schildmädchen's hold over her before rolling over, now with her on top and the Schildmädchen on the bottom, lying on her back. Both of her hands were pinned to the ground right next to her head by the operative and the shadow hissed:

"You'll suffer for that."



Meanwhile back in the building, the team leader's shout didn't go by unnoticed, nor did the attempt of the other Schildmädchen to get away from her enemy. However, what startled the shadows and gave the Schildmädchen a bit of respite were sounds coming from outside. The sound of a strong engine as well as something heavy moving over pavement. Shouts and boots could be heard outside as well. The Exilvanian troops were arriving at the scene, all of them had very little time to end this charade. It was time to get serious.

Judging by the sounds of the footsteps of the cautiously fleeing Schildmädchen, the one operative dealing with her got her location as well as the direction she was moving in. A low swiping kick over the floor ended that escape attempt prematurely, taking away th Schildmädchen's feet and making her fall to the ground though due to her highly advanced training not in a bad fashion. She managed to catch herself and made a roll forward, only to have her legs suddenly get gripped by her ankles and pulled away from the ground, this time making her actually fall flat onto the ground. A kick into the back did nothing as her attacked appeared to have already let go of her legs again. Where did the attacker go? The answer came in the form of a boot kicking against her temple from the front. Her adversary had an immense speed advantage. Seeing stars dance in front of her eyes and her limbs fealing heavy, the Schildmädchen would see the shadows in front of her slowly, more like smoke than shadows, extend towards one of her arms, specifically, the arm with the strobe light.

For a split second there was a flash of light, blinding the dazed Schildmädchen. In the next all the light was gone and she was lying there in complete darkness. Her strobe light was gone. She wouldn't even notice a difference between the darkness that surrounded her in consciousness and when she fell unconscious after receiving another kick to her temple.

The team leader was brought down not much later though here rather through finesse and tactics through pure strength, a battle of attrition. Since the attacks towards the strobe light proved ineffective and difficult to pull offand with time running short the two operatives attacking her simply concentrated on hitting her. Kicks and fists would continue coming at the team leader, pummelling her again and again untill finally she could no longer stand. A knee came forward and connected with her jaw, throwing her head back. A swiping sidekick landed in her stomach and made her double over while on her knees, ready to puke.

When the operatives noticed that the Schildmädchen's attempts at defending herself had shrunk considerably, easily noticeable by the fact that they didn't sustain any more superficial cuts from her blades, they went in. If hatred could kill, the team leader probbably would've died in agony from the gaze the two shadowy people sent her before one of them slammed her boot down onto the team leaders arm, breaking that strobe light as well and nearly shattering the bone below. Then she'd black out from all the abuse she had suffered at their hands.

[Nachfolgia]

Saeunn grunted as the trashcan hit her square on the back, knocking her over. The momentum of her running caused her to skip and skid across the ground. Before she could recover, the Schildmadchen was pinned down by the Exilvanians. Saeunn struggled against the shadow, but to no avail. The enemy had her subdued.

Saeunn continued to struggle when her head was lifted up. At first, the Schildmadchen thought that the Exilvanian was going to snap her neck, causing her to fight once again for her life. When the voice whispered in her ear, she stopped. Her thoughts turned to the Obersterfuhrurin and how she was still in danger. The realization that failure was upon them, caused her to fight frantically once again. Failure wasn't an option for them, death would be their only reason for failure.

" You bastards!! The collective will of the Nachfolgian Reich with drench your wold in blood and death! Do you hear me, you're all dead!!" Saeunn yelled as she thrashed around like a caged animal.

The Schildmadchen who tackled the Exilvanian didn't last much longer than Saeunn. She grappled with the enemy for a second before their magically enhance speed and strength got the better of the Nachfolgian.

Seemingly instantaneous, the Schildmadchen was pinned to the ground, with the enemy sitting on top of her. Despite her attempts to get the shadow off of her, the Nachfolgian was pinned. She glared at the Exilvanian with murderous rage as it taunted her. Seeing an opening for one last act of defiance, the Schildmadchen head-butted the Exilvanian in the face.

" Fuck you, unterlegen." The Nachfolgian replied as she spit in the Exilvanian's face.

While the Team leader's partner went down before she found an exit, the team leader still put up a fight. Even with a two on one fight, the leader tried her best to counter the blows, though it proved difficult in complete darkness. With one attack blocked came another from an unexpected angle. Despite all sides being blind, the Exilvanians still proved to be on top of the situation.

The team leader, though in agony from the blows, still tried to fight, but a hard knee and a swift kick proved too much. She groaned in pain as she fell to the floor. It wasn't long before more pain came her way as one Exilvanian stomped on her arm to break the strobe light.

As she began to lose consciousness, the team leader's thought went to the Obersterfuhrurin and how they failed her. It then shifted to Freyja's field, positive that the Exilvanians were going to kill her.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

The Exilvanian that got headbutted recoilled back a bit, releasing her grip on the Schildmädchen by just a little. Hissing she said:

"Alright, that seals it. I'm gonna put you out painfully."

And then her head came back down, gaining a lot of momentum before smashing into the Schildmädchen's face, knocking her out for good as well.

The Exilvanian on top of Saeunn sighed at the spew of insults that streamed forth from Saeunn's mouth and simply said:

"Such a beautiful voice...and yet so misused. Perhaps I can elicit more pleasing sounds from you..."

Before Saeunn could ask what it was that the Exilvanian was going to do, pain sprang up in her shoulder and her right arm was dislocated. Yet the Schildmädchen, well trained to resist pain endured, not giving the Exilvanian the satisfaction of crying out in pain. Even when her other arm got dislocated, even more painfully than the one before, Saeunn didn't cry out, much to the dissatisfaction of the Exilvanian.

The Exilvanian now had both hands free again to deal with Saeunn, who was still thrashing around as good as she could and covering her in insults and threats. Another sigh escaped through the mask and the shadows and then the Exilvanian turned Saeunn around so she was lying on her back and could now look up at her attacker. who was now sitting on her stomach. Knowing that Saeunn's legs couldn't reach her and with her arms dislocated and useless, the shadowy figures hands moved upwards and touched its head. A click was heard and it lifted something of its head and then threw it aside, it landing with a metallic clang somewhere.
The shadows had consumed the face that had now appeared, a beautiful yet pale face with a pair of blood red eyes staring hungrily at Saeunn. Shoulder length silver-white hair framed her flawless face nicely as she smiled at Saeunn and said:

"Guess I'll just have to shut you up then."

Before Saeunn could spit more insults at the Exilvanian, she leaned down and pressed her lips right onto Saeunn's, kissing her ferociously. Saeunn would find that the kiss was nigh irresistible and found herself answering the kiss in kind, their tongues intertwining and moans escaping from both of their mouths. And then she blacked out.

---

When Dietrich had heard the gunshots, his head had turned into th approximate direction immediately. He was alarmed and why shouldn't he be? The shots he heard did not come from an exilvanian weapon which meant that someone other than his men was armed in his sector and that relatively closeby. He stopped pushing Angelika on the macrabre swing and instead motioned for one of the present rifle grunts to go and see what was going on while quickly giving orders to the others to secure the square. He'd be damned if he'd let anything happen to the Obersterfuhrurin of the Reichsmilitarstaat of Nachfolgia while she was on what could practically be considered his turf.

And then they were waiting. Waiting for an excruciatingly long period of time for something to happen. Dietrich could feel Angelika staring at him, could feel the unspoken questions about what was going on. He was happy that she didn't ask them. He didn't feel like explaining a situation this obvious to her.

After about 10 minutes a commotion would start to come closer and Dietrich and the other Exilvanians visibly relaxed. It was the sound of heavy boots, Exilvanians shouting and the unmistakeable engine of an Übelmeister III "Drakul". Everything had apparently been dealt with and they would propably now report back. Of course, it was weird that so many soldiers were coming, afterall, only one person was needed to deliver a report but then again, perhaps the troops had captured strategically important assets and wanted to present them to him?

Shortly after they heard them, they also saw the soldiers who marched onto the square. It appeared to be atleast two platoons worth of rifle grunts as well as a heavy tank at their back. But as much as he squinted his eyes below the mask to see if there was anything, he couldn't see any prisoners at the forefront being brough to him. Dietrich got a very bad feeling about all of this. The soldiers gathered in front of him and Angelika in a semicircle. Dietrich didn't like surprises at all, atleast not for him and so he demanded:

"Well that took a while. Now what are you all doing here?!? Return to your posts, only one is necessary to deliver a report!"

An unrecognisable voice rang out behind the soldiers, shouting:

"We have found, neutralised and captured foreign spies Herr Reichskommandant!"

When he heard the voice Dietrich knew exactly who it was. That kind of voice that didn't have any trace of personality or gender within it was as recognisable as it was unrecognisable. Nobody would ever manage to link the person behind the mask together with this voice. However, everybody else that had already met them would always realise that they were speaking to a member of the Ordo Crudelitatis. He sighed as the soldiers parted and let six operatives of the Ordo Crudelitatis walk to the front, four of them carrying what looked like humans over their shoulders.

And then they dropped them all roughly on the floor in front of them and Dietrich saw their faces. Alarm bells immediately rung in his head and he just had to avert himself and facepalm. Oh for fuck's sake why? He had of course recognised them. Perhaps not as the Schildmädchen they were but definitely as Nachfolgians. This was bad, real bad. He moved one of his hand's fingers a bit to the side so he could look through them to see how Angelika reacted to the captured prey. His bet was that it would be poorly, as the Ordo Crudelitatis had intended.

[Nachfolgia]

Angelika heard the gunshots as well and jumped up off the corpse swing. There was an uneasy feeling as shots faded and everything went quiet. The questions and concerns raced through her head as she looked around the area. Was it her Schildmadchen? Did they engage more assassins? Did they engage the Exilvanians and whatever shadow group the ReichsKommandant had in his employ? The uncertainty of it all caused her anxiety and she slowly drew her weapon.

Even though she did not show it, her anxiety was still present when the platoons of Exilvanian soldiers amassed in the square in front of her. In fact, it caused her even more worry as there was now dozens of foreign troops present and she had no guard to protect her. She thought for sure that her Schildmadchen would have rushed to her side by now and wondered where they could have been.

And then it became apparent what had happened when an Exilvanian reported that several foreign spies had been neutralized. Angelika's eyes widened ever so slightly as the truth of the situation had become obvious. Even before Angelika saw their faces, she knew the identities of the bodies that the Exilvanians were carrying. The familiarity of the black SS combat uniform was undeniable. A certain unbridled rage came over the Obersterfuhrurin as her Schildmadchen were dumped on the ground like piles of trash.

Angelika remained silent for a few moments as she stared at the faces of her girls. " Aesa...Gunnhild...Saeunn...Ulrikke." Angelika muttered to herself as she continued to stare at them. " Herr ReichsKommandant..." Angelika looked at him. " ...why did your men engage my Schildmadchen in armed combat?" Haegler could clearly see in Angelika's eyes the absolute rage that was brewing inside. " I most certainly hope you have a good explanation for this, because... I'M ABOUT TO MOUNT THEIR HEADS ON A PIKE!!" Angelika yelled in anger as she leveled her pistol at the Ordo agents.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

And indeed, Angelika reacted just like the damned assassins had intended. Her unbridled rage was seeping out through her eyes which pierced Dietrich like lances. He stumbled a step backwards,continuing to cover his masked face with one hand while the other tried to make some calming gestures.

Yet this time Angelika's rage seemed to know no bounds. The normally so composed ruler seemed to lose it, overwhelmed by wholly negative emotions she felt. Honestly, it was quite a treat, atleast for the Exilvanian in Dietrich. It bathed in her hatred and fury, loved everything about their purity and found Angelika all the more attractive when angry. However, the Reichskommandant within him, his dominant side so to say, silently reproved Angelika for losing control of herself. Once having reached a position of sufficient responsibility, men and women were not allowed to let go off themselves anymore. They couldn't relax, couldn't show what they truly felt or thought. Always had to wear a mask, always had to put on a show. Every action they made was watched and had implications. Every slip-up could and would be used against them. Dietrich knew from personal experience. If negotiations were to go south due to the acts of the Ordo Crudelitatis then he would keep this slip-up in mind and use it against Angelika.

But now he had to act. It was clear that Angelika was on the verge of losing control completely as she pulled out a gun and aimed it at his unruly subordinates. While part of him wished that she'd pull the trigger and hopefully rid him off atleast one of those fools before she was torn apart, he knew that he couldn't let it happen. They were too valuable to even lose one for something as silly as this. He had had so many killed of them during the Civil War, very few were left. And as the best of the best that the Remnants of Exilvania had to offer, he had to treasure them. And so he quickly stepped inbetween Angelika and the Ordo Crudelitatis Operatives, blocking her shot with his lean frame by literally standing so close that she was pressing the gun barrel into him.

Very calmly, hoping to not further upset Angelika he stated:

"Yes, in fact I do. My subordinates followed my orders and took care of foreigners intruding into exilvanian territory without exilvanian consent. It is my fault for not giving your security outfit access clearance and I am responsible for the actions of my underlings.

If there's a head to be mounted on a pike today, then it shall be yours."

Behind himself he could suddenly hear some giggling. He recognised the sound from the Ordo's masks. They were giggling like schoolgirls about his little attempt at cooling down the situation and turning up the volume of their loudspeakers so it could be heard clearly. Of course, they just wanted to piss Angelika off even more and make his draconian task even more difficult. He silently cursed them and swore that he would find a way to punish them for all of this without decreasing their combat effectiveness.

[Nachfolgia]

Angelika didn't yield in her unfathomable hatred for the Ordo. Even with the ReichsKommandant in the way of a possible shot, she didn't move. In fact, as the barrel of her pistol was already to touching Haegler's chest, she decided to lean into it a little bit, letting him feel how angry she was.

Angelika glared up at the masked man as he explained how the situation arose. She didn't particular believe everything he was saying, that he had ordered them to take out any intruders and neglecting to give her security team clearance. Due to her somewhat distrust of Haegler already, Angelika glared even more intense at him. The fact that he was covering for them made the situation that much worse.

" You...ordered them to do this? To my Schildmadchen?" Angelika said, slowly pressing her finger on the trigger.

Before she fully squeezed, Angelika heard the snicking coming from behind him, gaining her attention. She glanced at them and suddenly realized the game they were playing. The Ordo purposefully attacked and humiliated the Schildmadchen just to get a rise out of her. To see her crack and possibly lose the ReichsKommandant's respect. They wanted to end the alliance before it started, for a reason that was currently unknown. Not wanting to be manipulated, always being the one to manipulate others, Angelika wasn't going to let them succeed again.

" Well bravo to your Ordo Crudelitatis, Herr ReichsKommandant?" Angelika said as she holstered her pistol, doing a complete 180 from her fury just seconds ago. " I expected nothing less than the finest Exilvania has to offer." Angelika said before moving around Haegler to confront the Ordo directly.

" You children have my thanks for showing me that my Schildmadchen aren't perfect." Angelika said in faux glee as she bowed her head a bit.

" Now, Herr ReichsKommandant, do you mind helping me take them to the Nachfolgian occupied zone." Angelika said with a smile, nudging one of the maidens with her foot.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Dietrich was visibly relieved when Angelika suddenly holstered her gun. His entire posture went from tense to lax in a matter of seconds. And that even though he was fairly sure that Angelika shooting him in the chest would only be an inconvenience to him. Still, the sudden change in mood was a bit too sudden. It was a farce, easy to look through. Angelika would most likely vent her anger and frustration later, on someone or something else, where it wouldn't upset anyone.

He had half a mind to stop Angelika when she attempted to move around him but he held himself back in the last second. She was feigning to be completely fine and dandy with everything that happened. Maybe he too should feign a little...feign to actually believe her. And so he didn't do anything as she stepped past him.

The Ordo Crudelitatis members looked at Angelika when she congratulated them to their actions...and called them children. Considering that each of them was atleast twice the age of Angelika, they were understandably irritated. Then again, this foreigner had probably not yet realised that Exilvanian Ages never tended to match their physical appearance. They remained still and composed though, not falling for anything.

Dietrich was happy when Angelika turned away from the operatives, realising that there wouldn't be any more of a scandal than there already was. Good. He saw Angelika smiling at him, nudging one of her downed maidens with a foot, asking him if he'd help her bring them back to the zone.

"Of course mylady."

Was all he said before he, as gentle as he could, placed one of the Schildmädchen across his shoulders and took two more under his arms, leaving only one Schildmädchen on the ground. For a moment he looked at the remaining Schildmädchen, then again at his occupied arms, before sighing and asking Angelika:

"Frau Obersterfuhrurin, would you be so kind as to place the last one on my shoulders as well?"

He honestly didn't know if he could carry another Schildmädchen. True, his strength exceeded that of normal humans and Exilvanians but these were several tall and well built human beings he was hauling. He was already having some trouble keeping the correct stature to carry them all, despite his efforts to hide it before Angelika.

[Nachfolgia]

Angelika watched as Haegler effortlessly lifted up three of her Schildmadchen to carry them back to the Nachfolgian zone. Needless to say, she was quite impressed by the feat. She figured that as a proto-vampire, he would be considerably strong, but she had yet to see it in action. Angelika could only imagine how far his physical strength goes and it intrigued her greatly. She would have to test that on a later date.

When Haegler asked for her to help him get the last Schildmadchen, she looked oddly at him. First, she was surprised that he asked her to do such a thing, given that he had been doing the heavy lifting all day, so to speak. Second, she wondered how he was going to carry all four of them alone. It was well over 500 lbs of dead weight very awkwardly placed. Still, this was another test to see how strong Haegler really was.

" Of course, Herr ReichsKommandant." Angelika said with a smile before taking off her overcoat and dress cover. " Hold this, please. " Angelika said to a nearby Exilvanian grunt as she threw the coat and hat at him. She then proceeded to lift up the Schildmadchen with seemingly little effort, using leverage and proper technique to avoid hurting herself. With the Schildmadchen on her shoulders, Angelika walked over and got her up on Haegler's shoulder.

" Now...shall we get going?" Angelika said as she grabbed her coat and cover from the Exhilvanian and began to walk down the street.

It didn't take them long before the reached the main road that divided the two occupied zones. Angelika lead them to the middle of the road before stopping. She then gave a loud, specific whistle to signal someone. Almost immediately, four more Schildmadchen in full combat gear rushed to her and stood before her at attention.

" Ja, Meine Obersterfuhrurin." One of them spoke.

" Take these four to the interrogation cells. They may have been compromised and need to be detained until further notice." Angelika gave clear and sharp commands.

" Ja, meine Obersterfuhrurin!" The Schildmadchen responded before the four of them picked up their comrades and took off towards the palace at full speed.

Angelika watched them for a second before turning back to Haegler. " Well...now that the unpleasantness is out of the way, we can look forward to the fun tonight. As you might have noticed all the preparations being made, there is a party tonight at 8pm to celebrate our victory. I want to formally invite you and any Exhilvanian officers to attend as honored guests. Think of it as an opportunity to witness the other side of Nachfolgian culture." Angelika said to Haegler.

Given his reply, Angelika would say her goodbyes and walk off towards the palace to get ready for the ball.

Several hours later...

Nachfolgian planes at been arriving at the Yeuzuishan International Airport in increasing numbers since the victory over the region. Today, it seemed to be more frequent as the victory ball was being held tonight by the Nachfolgians. Many important in the Nachfolgian Military Industrial machine were set to attend. CEOs, Judges, Wehrmacht officers, anyone who was anyone was landing at the airport and were being driven to the palace by armored convoy.

Given the fact that a lot of important people were converging on one location, the city had become a fortress. Heavily armed checkpoints were on every road and side street leading towards the palace and along the convoy path. Anti-aircraft missle sights and Luftwaffe fighters were protecting the skies above the city. In nearby buildings by the palace, sniper teams kept watch on the rooftops.

Along the perimeter of the palace, heavily fortified positions, reinforced with armored vehicles were protecting the palace from all sides. At the palace entrances, every guest and worker was thoroughly searched and run through a series of metal detectors and bomb sniffing genetically engineered dogs. Armed patrols roamed the grounds constantly, including the secret passages. Cameras were installed at key strategic locations, giving a complete overwatch of the palace. The Nachfolgian SS had a contingency plan for every situation, to ensure the safety of the party guests.

The Palace Ballroom had been cleaned, repaired, and decorated in preparation for the guests' arrival. Tables and chairs had been placed perfectly. Food and drink was being served to the hundreds of guests by lesser enlisted personnel. The music and ambiance was provided by one of the Reich's most famous folk singer, Franziska Van Houten.

The entire ballroom was lively despite knowing the reason for their attendance, victory in war. This was simply another side of the complexity that is Nachfolgian culture and society not seen by foreigners that were not on the receiving end of their weapons of war. The love of living life in a state of constant war was the center of the Nachfolgian's collective being. Each victory party was celebrated to the fullest, for it might be any of their last, and this one was no exception, despite their foreign guests. This party was to show the Exilvanians that the old Nachfolgian saying holds true: " Nachfolgians party just as well as they conduct war."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Dietrich groaned under the weight as Angelika draped the last Schildmädchen over his shoulders. Guess his hopes for her taking that one just got evaporated. While that was an overall great thing to note of her character that would surely benefit future relations greatly...personally...right now...he would've preferred if she had been more merciful and perhaps empathetic with his plight. But alas that was not who the Obersterfuhrurin really was and so Dietrich had to bear with it, trudging noticeably slow after Angelika who was already rushing off back towards the Nachfolgian occupation zone. And of course, he thought under heavy laboured breathing, the damn Ordo Crudelitatis was gone again. They had a knack for appearing and disappearing whenever they deemed it good for them. No matter, he'd get them for this regardless and the retribution for this would be many magnitudes of what he had to suffer through for this.

When they got to the demarcation line Dietrich was already severely out of breath and just literally just let go off the Schildmädchen he was carrying with him, letting them tumble down onto the floor rather uncomfortably. Gods was he tired now. And what a bad mood. Honestly, he was in a mood where he wouldn't have minded forcibly biting into Angelika's neck again to spill some good, rejuvenating liquid down his hoarse throat. Alas, there were way too many eyes on them here.

Being distracted as he was, he paid no further heed to the fate of the Schildmädchen, instead mellowing in his own bad mood while sitting on the ground and catching some breath. He was indeed so distracted that he at first did not notice Angelika talking to him. So when he did actually finally notice he jumped and hastily babbled:

"W-w-wha? Why yes of course! Very noticeable! I'll be sure to pass the invitation along! Very much looking forward to it!"

He bowed deeply and took her hand, gently pressing his gasmask's filter onto its back and said:

"I wish you well untill then, Frau Obersterfuhrurin."

He then watched Angelika walk off, back towards the palace while he stayed here, in the middle of the road. He'd need to get into shape. Perhaps also wear something different for a change? Perhaps he had a penguin suit lying around somewhere but he wasn't completely sure. Still, a uniform change at the very least was necessary. This one had gone through a lot he noticed. Such as Nachfolgian saliva on his shoulders. One of the passed out Schildmädchen had most likely been drooling in her sleep.

Several hours later at the Ball

Exilvanian Security, unlike that of their Nachfolgian counterpart, had not actually increased by one bit. Granted it had been very good beforehand since the ZZ Reichskommandant and the Obersterfuhrurin were both currently residing in the palace and the ZZ Reichskommandant had made sure that no harm could befall them. The nightly ambush had been an unfortunate oversight. The Exilvanians were also very territorial when it came to security. Nachfolgian attempts at expanding their dense security network into the Exilvanian occupied half of the city and the palace would mostly be met with armed Exilvanians blocking their way and telling them to sod off. Infiltration attempts by the Nachfolgian Security network (if they happened) did work out decently but every operative actually caught by the Exilvanian Military Forces in the area was expulsed roughly but for the most part alife and physically largely unharmed...unless they committed suicide to prevent capture.

The ballroom had actually been completely vacated by the Exilvanians under orders of the ZZ Reichskommandant. Dietrich didn't feel like the presence of armed Exilvanian guards would be a positive addition to the festivities. Dietrich had also ordered a slight retreat of Exilvanian Forces, allowing the Nachfolgians full control of the main entrance to the Palae Ballroom. So long as he had an own entrance that was all fine.

Dietrich, wearing what would constitue as a penguin suit if it wasn't completely white, entered the Ballroom through a side door. He had several Exilvanian Officers in tow, half a dozen of the highest ranked ones that he had managed to scrounge up in the short time. They on the other hand weren't wearing any specifically festive clothing and had opted for their uniforms but properly cleaned and ironed, most likely due to the lack of any other clothing on site. All of them stopped at the entrance, a little overwhelmed by the ball that was playing out before them. Only Dietrich seemed to be somewhat unfazed. Well, as the head of a noble house, he had been at balls before although Exilvanian balls had a tendency to be colder, less focused on entertainment or enjoyment. He had also been abroad at one or another ball hosted by foreign powers. Still though, he was surprised about all this. Intelligence had divulged to him that the Nachfolgians were up to something but he certainly hadn't expected a ball. He'd have prepared better if he had known something like that would happen. Gods allmighty, hopefully Angelika wouldn't ask for a dance, he had neglected it for decades.

Dietrich looked back at the 6 men standing behind him. He had of course brought some more but they weren't visible behind the small troop of officers he had brought with them. Now, usually, if Ball procedures during Nachfolgian balls were the same as they were at diplomatic or aristocratic balls, he and company would be announced to the crowd via announcer and/or greeted by the host, in this case the Obersterfuhrurin. So he waited for now, hoping to not break protocol with it or be too...shy?

[Nachfolgia]

As soon as Haegler entered the room, an elderly Nachfolgian stepped up beside him. Despite his older age, the man was still extremely tall and well built. His face had clear signs of aging as well as a few scars. His hair was greying and slicked back, the hair gel glistening in the overheard lights. The man wore an SS uniform of lower enlisted rank, as did all the servants at the ball.

Without much warning, the man called out in a thunderous voice. " ReichsKommandant Dietrich Haelger of Exilvania and...his associates!" It was quite curious how the man knew Haegler's name without asking for it. It would seem that someone told him who Haegler was and what he looked like. When the announcer called out his arrival, every Nachfolgian in the ballroom turned to look at the Exilvanians. They kept their eyes fixated on the group of Exilvanians for what seemed like forever, muttering amongst their selective groups. For most, it was the first time seeing an Exilvanian in person and the experience left a lot to be desired.

Angelika had been surrounded by several Nachfolgian business men and their wives and sons. As usual, they pestered her on a great deal of matters that were of little interest to her. Most of it was trying to get their sons to court with Angelika as well as their "insight" on foreign business with Exilvania. Angelika, since she was a young girl, had no stomach for politics and business. She considered the two to be riddled with cowards and brown nosers.

It was quite obvious that Angelika was annoyed by her own countrymen so when Haegler was announced, she jumped at the opportunity to greet him. Pushing past the crowd, Angelika had her way to the man, flanked by two Schildmadchen in full combat armor.

Haegler, unobstructed by the mass of Nachfolgians, got a good looK at Angelika as she walked towards him. She wore a long red dress that hugged her figure, barely allowing enough leg room to walk. The shoes that she wore were a slightly darker red and elevated her heel a few inches. When she walked, the light from the chandeliers caused the little specks on her high heels to glisten. Her make up was perfect as it usually is, with a darker eye shadow that put focus on her eyes. Angelika replaced her usual bun hairstyle with something more appropriate for the occasion. All in all, Angelika was once again the most stunning person in the room.

" Herr ReichsKommandant..." Angelika called out with utter glee. "...It is so wonderful that you accepted my invitation as my personal guest. I hoped my security didn't give you or your entourage a hard time." Angelika then looked Haegler up and down, admiring what she saw.

" I must say, Herr ReichsKommandant, you certainly know how to clean up. You look absolutely dashing if I do say so myself."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

"I don't feel like we are particularly welcome here, Herr ZZ Reichskommandant."

, one of the officers Dietrich had brought with him remarked. And the ZZ Reichskommandant couldn't exactly fault him for feeling that way. The stares from the Nachfolgians clearly betrayed their thoughts on them. Granted, he was sure his companions threw the same stares back at the present Nachfolgians. They seemed so...weak...gullible, bound by their their notions of race and status. Dietrich wouldn't mind purging this entire room of all life just for the stares he received. With a wave of his hand he let the officers he had brought with him disperse and atleast attempt to mingle among the present Nachfolgians...though that task proved fairly difficult, seeing as to how easy they were to make out with their blue uniforms and gasmasks.

Meanwhile Dietrich expected the grand prize, the epicenter of this entire little festivity. The Obersterfuhrurin. And indeed he could already see Angelika making her way towards him, flanked by usual bodyguards and followed by an entire crowd of young men and old seniors. Of course Angelika was the center of all the attention of her countrymen, most likely both due to the incredible power she held in Nachfolgia but also due to her stunning figure which she brought to bear once again. Though despite Angelika's choice of dress being good when it came to showing the outlines of her remarkable figure, Dietrich couldn't help but notice that her very restricted way of walking towards him was anything but impressive. The small steps she was forced to make as she approached him did make her look rather silly in his eyes. When Angelika had finally reached him he once again bowed and Angelika, most likely knowing what he was intending considering how often he had done it in the past, gave him her hand so he could press his filter against the back of it, simulating a kiss onto it as he had done so oftnen before. Then he straightened himself again and said:

"How could I not accept the invitation of someone, pardon me for being so straightforward, as lovely as yourself Frau Obersterfuhrurin. And please, do not worry about your security. They merely did their job and it is quite a good sign to see that they make no exceptions, something that my entourage did very much respect about them."

Dietrich was polite yet not particularly warm or filled with glee as Angelika was. His composition was faultless here. He did now however look past Angelika, at her own entourage and said:

"Ah, Frau Obersterfuhrurin, your compliments are well received on this end. You look dashing yourself if I may so say so and it appears your crowd of admirers is already catching up."

[Nachfolgia]

As soon as Haegler mentioned a crowd of " admirers", Angelika glanced behind her to get a good look, despite knowing exactly who they were. It was always the same three Nachfolgian bureaucrates and their sons and this time was no different. Angelika's few moments of actual joy was now gone and replaced by the look of disgust and contempt.

" More like parasites..." Angelika muttered just loud enough to Haegler to hear, before turning around a giving a half hearted smile to them.

" My Obersterfuhrurin, do you mind introducing us to your Exilvanian associate?" One of the Nachfolgians, an older man with gaunt cheeks and a narrow face, said as the group converged on them.

Angelika rolled her eyes a bit and introduced everyone. " Herr ReichsKommandant...this is Bernhard von Hohenhausen, CEO of Kriegband Armaments, Nachfolgia's premier arms manufacturer..." Angelika said as she motioned to the narrow faced man. "...and his son Johann von Hohenhausen." She motioned to the young man to Bernard's right.

" Otto Hanfstaengl, CEO of Reichs-Versand, Nachfolgia's shipping conglomerate and his son, Edgar Hanfstaengl." Angelika motions to the men in the middle of the group, Otto being the man with a can and walking with a limp.

" ...and Brigadefuhrur Heith Aleifrdottir, CEO of Nachfolgian National News, the only news outlet in the Reich. She is also the commanding general of the broadcast and propaganda division of the Waffen-SS that happens to be in control of her company." Angelika motioned to the lone woman in the group. She seemed to in better physical shape than her male counterparts despite her age as well as the only one in uniform.

" Fellow Nachfolgians...this is ReichsKommandant Dietrich Haelger, supreme leader of Exilvania and its territories." Angelika finished the introductions and everyone gave their greetings.

" So, Herr ReichsKommandant...I have heard rumors that your nation and its people are quite war like. How extensive is your arms manufacturing in Exilvania? What is the net worth of the industry? Do you export any weapons overseas to other nations? Do you have business deals with other nations and are you open to new deals?" Bernhard fired off questions, caring very little of how rude it was or how angry the Obersterfuhrurin was getting.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Under his mask Dietrich sent Angelika an accusing glare as the CEO began pelting him with questions. Perhaps the woman was a bit too benevolent if mere CEOs still dared to get out of line like that, would become something that she'd consider parasites. But alas, considering the way how Angelika still tolerated them, it meant that they were probably important political figures that even she couldn't touch just like that. Similar to him and the Ordo Crudelitatis Dietrich though. So for now he'd play along and humor this little rat.

"Quite war like may just be an under-"

But that blubbering buffoon didn't even stop and instead just continued firing off questions. It was...irritating to say the least. Honestly, if this was his turf, fully his turf and he wasn't surrounded by Nachfolgians then this moron would've vanished off the face of the earth so quickly. But he kept the facade up, content with the fact that he could make whatever face he wanted under his mask to silently comment on this man's behaviour. However, when the retard was finally finished, Dietrich said in the most comradely tone:

"Ah, Herr von Hohenhausen, what an astounding array of questions. It appears that you have come well prepared to this ball. Irritatingly so.

That little hint was all Dietrich gave the others to let them know just how pissed he was. However, he decided to go and have some fun with this Bernhard and so he leaned forward and repeatedly stabbed Bernhard's chest with his index finger, saying:

"But are you and all those present willing to pay the price for the answers to these questions? As an unaffiliated civilian of a foreign country the reward for gaining this information is either death or servitude. Tell me Herr von Hohenhausen, would you rather die for Nachfolgia than renounce your loyalty to it?"

It was true, he would never hand information about things such as the arms manufacturing industry, the net worth of the industry or where he had weapons shipped to over to some civilian from an as of yet...positively neutral country. Only loyal Exilvanians or truly loyal foreign agents were allowed to hold such knowledge and for all he was worth, von Hohenhausen was neither of that. Of course Dietrich knew the answer that von Hohenhausen would give. Only a fool would give a different one before this many Nachfolgians and the Obersterfuhrurin herself. In fact, he counted on it for Angelika's souring mood had not gone unnoticed with Dietrich so he hoped that perhaps such an open admission of loyalty to her and Nachfolgia might cheer her up atleast a little.

However, once that was done, Dietrich ignored the CEO, instead turning to Angelika once more and saying politely:

"You look fetching tonight my Obersterfuhrurin however, I can't help but notice that your dress does restrict your leg space quite a bit. I always thought that balls and dancing belonged together but it appears that Nachfolgians have a different idea of them. Care to enlighten me?"

[Nachfolgia]

Bernhard was completely speechless. He did not expect such a hostile reaction to his questions and he certainly couldn't have predicted his loyalty being out into question by a foreign dignitary. Someone that wasn't even a Nachfolgian out him in his place. He tried to act calm and collected about the whole thing, but his face sold him out. He was embarrassed.The fact that the Obersterfuhrurin was witness to this made it all the more embarrassing for him.

Bernard looked his his colleagues as smirks became visible on their faces. Otto and Heith were fairly amused by the situation and somewhat impressed that the foreigner had balls. Bernhard glanced over at the Obersterfuhrurin and that's when he knew how serious the situation was. She glared daggers at him and had tilted her head slightly as if interested in what he was going to say next. Sweating nervously, Bernhard had to reply soon and convincingly.

" O-o-of course I'm loyal to the Obersterfuhrurin and the Reich..." Bernhard clamored nervously. " ...How could you even suggest such a preposterous thing? I would gladly give up my life for the betterment of Nachfolgia. "

Johann, having seen enough of his father digging his own grave, tapped him on the shoulder. " Father, there is Herr Kroener over by the hors d'oeuvres. We need to talk to him about the transportation issue." He said as the two left.

" Yes, I believe we have other matters to attend to. It's been a pleasure my Obersterfuhrurin and Herr ReichsKommandant." Otto said as he and his son left.

" My Obersterfuhrurin." Heith said as she popped to attention then gave a smile before leaving.

Angelika, finally rid of the annoyance, turned to address Haegler's question.

" You are correct in your observation, Herr ReichsKommandant. This dress is rather constrictive as this is a style of dress that is popular in the Reich. However, what you don't see is the seam on the left side of the dress stretching from the end all the way to the thigh. That is known as the " dancer's seam." It is meant to rip to allow movement while dancing. Nachfolgians like the dramatic when it comes to dancing." Angelika said as she ran her finger along the seam.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

"Say what you will about the old man but it looks like his youngling atleast has some situational awareness."

, Dietrich remarked as the young man dragged his father off to where he couldn't shovel his own grave. He then listened to Angelika talking about her dress and the longer he listened the greener his face became under the mask. Dancing was very much possible with this. And Angelika just said they liked it dramatic. Was she alluding to something fast and furious like a Tango? Oh gods almighty please no. It was moments like these where he was absolutely thankful for always wearing the mask. It gave one a bit of privacy, a bit of respite.

For now perhaps keeping her distracted a little would keep her off the idea of dancing so he said:

"Well, the young men seemed to be alright. Not quite as...hm...moronic as their fathers yet still most likely not even coming close to yourself. Have you ever considered choosing one of those among your parasites and marry him for political reasons? String him up like a puppet and have him walk your line untill you don't need him anymore...untill a divorce or an unfortunate accident makes him a non-issue."

Hopefully that would deflect her either back into a bad mood or make her start talking about Nachfolgian politics. Topics he was far better at than dancing.

[Nachfolgia]

Angelika looked back up to Haegler from looking over her dress. " Oh... you're still talking about them." Angelika said as she stood up straight and fixed her dress. She then glanced over at the group of Nachfolgians that had just left them to mingle elsewhere and the same disgusted look washed over her face.

" No... they're just like their idiotic fathers. Johann and Edgar may seem level headed, but they are motivated by the same things that Bernhard and Otto are; money and power. Years of grooming in the aristocrat fashion has made them they spitting image of their fathers."

Angelika paused for a moments to chuckle, smirking at a seemingly insulting thought.

" Regardless... they're the ones that have to gain power and not me. I'm at the top of the food chain that is the Reichsmilitarstraat. Those two fools are been trying to scamper up the political ladder for as long as I could remember, trying to talk my father into an arranged marriage. Luckily the Obersterfuhrur didn't fall for their scheming either. It brings me so much joy that they're no where closer to their goal than they were 20 years ago." Angelika said nonchalantly as a pleased grin stretched across her face.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

"An arranged marriage...at 3 years no less? If the gentlemen truly are as bad as you say they are, it must be a great relief to have had a father who barred their fathers' attempts at chaining you to them?"

, a hint of sadness and pain, well hidden by both Dietrich's own self control and the mask's muffling effects, was apparent in his voice and actions as Dietrich hesitated and stayed silent for a little while after having said these words. Memories, old and unwanted had resurfaced and it displeased him greatly that he had to deal with them again so when he finally fully regained his posture he attempted to change the topics yet again.

"Say, mylady, have you had dinner yet or are we have it together again? It seems like a terrible idea to go for an eventful night on an empty stomach."

Dietrich was a tall man, yet among a tall people like the Nachfolgians, he was more like the average so peering over their heads for some sort of buffet seemed like no option for him. He also remembered the unfortunate events from the last time they had shared a meal and was quick to chime again:

"Not to worry mylady, I have sated myself in advance. There will be no incident like there was this morning. Though I have to ask, have you organised a buffet or are the dishes being served here?"

Of course it was a lie. But Angelika didn't have to know that he had not eaten or drunk anything since this morning. He didn't need to do so that often and he found himself savouring the taste of her blood. It had been exquisite, no doubt due to her high societal standing and her dominating character. And he was sure it was most likely the last time that he'd gotten to have some of her blood.

[Nachfolgia]

" Yes, well...my father had quite the distain for bureaucrates, much like me. In fact, there are stories going around that the Obersterfuhrur punched Herr von Hohenhausen and broke his nose while they were in the academies together. What I would have given to be alive to see it." Angelika chuckled a bit before continued.

" Of course, I wouldn't have to deal with their pompous demeanor every day if my grandfather didn't allow them to grow as large as they did with his military contracts. In hindsight, the man was far to lenient on fellow Nachfolgians who pursuit of gold is borderline treason."

There was a bit of silence between the two before Dietrich broke it and worried about if Angelika had eaten.

" There is a table on the far end of the ballroom that is serving various Nachfolgian dishes. Plus, enlisted personnel walking around with trays of hors d'oeuvres and drinks, so you need not worry about my food consumption. In fact..." Angelika paused for a moment to collect her thoughts."...I should be more concerned about your food consumption, Herr ReichsKommandant."

Angelika waited for Haegler to respond, to which he responded to her satisfactory.

" That's good to hear, Herr ReichsKommandant. Wouldn't want any adverse affects to be fall you." Angelika was suddenly cut off by the music picking. A woman, dressed in a simple white dress and flowery wreath around her head, began to sing a vibrant song in Scodal ( old Norse). The song prompted many Nachfolgians to congregate at the dance floor and began dancing in pairs. Angelika watched the fun that her folk were having for a few moments before turning back to Haegler.

" I don't suppose Exilvania has any traditional dancing to speak of that you could show me? Would be an excellent opportunity to share the other half of our cultures that doesn't pertain to death and war."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Dietrich internally facepalmed when the music started and people start congregating on the dance floor. He saw Angelika looking at it, heard the song in an unknown but nordic sounding tongue and was certain he knew what was about to be said. And Angelika sure didn't disappoint his expectations, proposing a thinly veiled invitation to a dance. It left him no choice but to agree and to attempt to play a long as good as he could, despite his lack in practice. And so he bowed before taking Angelika's hand, saying politely:

"It has, it has. Although my childhood memories of it are rather scarce. Perhaps a little practice might help me find back into it, mylady? Care for a dance?"

Under his mask the man cursed. Just what was he getting himself into? Walking together with the Obersterfuhrurin onto the dance floor if she had agreed to his proposal, he kept searching his mind for any simple dance from his childhood that might fit the song currently being sung. By the time they had reached the dance floor, he had decided on a fairly simple waltz that he believed to be able to adapt in speed and rythm to whatever song the Nachfolgians could bring, something he believed to have a chance at doing relatively well. He turned into Angelika and put his other hand onto her waist while stretching out his and her arm. Now being fairly close to her he lowered his voice a little so that only she could hope to hear him:

"I apologize in advance for the rather...hm...conservative and boring dance. But if I had to choose between destroying your delicate feet with my own or to bore you then I'd always choose the latter."

And thus he began to dance, slowly and a bit insecure at first but quickly getting back into it. It was simple enough afterall. The only nightmare left facing would be Angelika proposing one of her more "dramatic" dances where she'd probably lead but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

[Nachfolgia]

Angelika smiled and took his hand, being led to the dance floor. The few people around them, upon seeing them, stepped to the side to let them pass. When they started their slow dance, in spite of the fast pace song, more Nachfolgians took notice and stopped to watch the two world leaders. It was astonishing sight to behold, being the first time any of them saw a Nachfolgian dancing with a foreigner.

The woman singing, took notice and quickly queued up a slower song, singing in the same tongue as before. Heith, the SS office, silently called over some of her reporters to take pictures and film the dance for the news. Some Nachfolgians, followed their Obersterfuhrurin's lead and began to dance as well. Every Nachfolgian in the ballroom was now fixated on the two leaders.

Angelika lended in towards Haelger as he did the same, trying to keep their conversation as private as possible.

" This dance is perfectly fine, Here ReichsKommandant. Though I would suggest not missing a beat as it seems we now have an audience." Angelika whispered back, motioning to the crowd in case he didn't notice.

" It's strange, isn't it?" Angelika added, as they danced. " Seeing Nachfolgians in such a manner? Take a look around and tell me your observations." If Haegler looked around, he would see smiling Nachfolgian faces, laughing and enjoying themselves. These were the same people he'd seen act so ruthlessly in battle, who seem to act like a cult of blood and death.

Upon Haegler's response, Angelika would continue.

" Yes, Nachfolgians having fun and loving life. This is known to us as The Duality. Each Nachfolgian knows that their life is short. Each day might be our last when war is our craft. So we try to live life to the fullest, to experience all that life has to offer. Music, dancing, art, love... it's all important to us as a whole and we hold it in high regard. Take the singer for instance." Angelika glanced up at the woman on stage.

" Frau Hrefna Skoptidottir...the most famous folk singer in the Reich. She is a multi-millionaire with several platinum records, adored by millions as the queen of the music industry. The Waffen-SS employ her to boost morale by broadcasting her music to deployed troops as well as doing live shows for them."

Angelika paused for a moment to let Haegler gather his thoughts on the sight.

" What about the two young Untersturmführers in the corner to the right of the serving tables?" Angelika said. If Haegler were to look in that direction, he would see just that. Two young officers being rather intimate with each other, not caring that people can obviously see them. In fact, the other Nachfolgians don't seem to pay them no mind. Some even nodding in approval of the junior officers.

" Two young Nachfolgians enjoying themselves without a care in the world. Each of them knowing that any day might be their last. Curiously enough, no superior officer stops them, even though they are violating uniform code of conduct. They let them be, because they know that feeling. That feeling of spontaneity where you are at your most natural state of being. They've been in that same exact state numerous times. Tonight...they get a pass."

At that point the slow song ended and a new song was sung, this one being more upbeat. Angelika stopped dancing and took a step back from Haegler as the crowd applauded before returning to their personal activities.

" That is what it means to be a Nachfolgian, Herr ReichsKommandant. Ferocious death and spontaneous life. The Duality is at the heart of us all. It is our collective will, our culture, our religion. It is us. I hope that this was very enlightening for you, Here ReichsKommandant? You are the only foreigner to know what we are about deep down."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Ever wary, although slightly concentrated on not making any misstep, Dietrich had of course noticed their spectators. It was just as he had expected. In fact, he was more surprised that he and the Obersterfuhrurin hadn't been the object of more attention even prior to being so closely together on the dance floor. Alas, he supposed that this was most likely a far more symbolical, far more potent picture than the two of them just standing around somewhere and chatting politely with each other.

"I'll try not to disappoint the Nachfolgian people. Lest you think it less disappointing for them if I were to make a mistake."

He was slightly annoyed by the singer choosing a different song, almost bringing him out of step. He had tried adapting to her so her suddenly adapting to him was a bit jarring yet the simplicity of the dance served him well here and he did not manage to make a debacle.

While dancing Angelika asked him wether he found it strange to see the Nachfolgians like this? Asked him to observe. Careful so as to not come out of step and risk stepping on the Obersterfuhrur's toes as well as to avoid people noticing that he was staring at them, he looked around. They were smiling, and unlike the balls he used to attend, where every smile was faked, hiding vile plots and schemes, these seemed to be genuine. Genuine like the smiles he knew his troopers were wearing when they were torturing a prisoner in their midst. Yet these Nachfolgians weren't torturing prisoners, they were watching him, attending a ball and actually enjoying it. It was a truth that he had known from intelligence reports yet seeing it himself after having seen so many reports on seeing and Nachfolgians in action was jarring to say the least.

"With the exception of the old skeletons pestering you before, I dare say that these people all look as though they are truly enjoying themselves here. It is...an interesting combination with what I have seen on numerous occasions during my stay here."

Angelika then explained something to him she called the Duality. The grim realisation that in a lifetime of war, a lifetime could be short and thus Nachfolgians selected to enjoy every second of it. He could see the logic behind it...yet he discarded it. For an Exilvanian, life was long and even if war threatened to cut it short, he personally would rather work to push that death back ever so little rather than take pleasure in something as meaningless to the war effort like music, dancing or art...or even love. He shuddered at the thought, old traumata coming back up again. Love was a child's pipe dream and grown people's excuse to follow their reproductive habits. That was all he regarded it with.

Angelika talked about the singer, with Haegler tactfully turning their dance around so he could have a good view of the singer too, how she was an immense morale booster for the troops by following her passion. He knew of course about the concept of motivational musical pieces or even shows. It was sometimes a great thing to have something to sing along to, to lift the spirits. He knew how much it had helped him, had helped the troops around him back on the long march back home through the icy wastes of the northern Tundran Territories. But now he utilised it mostly for the outside propaganda department. In this modern day and age, a well edited video with a very good and fitting musical background could do so much to sway the opinions of many on the Internet, to create so called fans of Exilboos. It was a tool he liked using. It spoke to his theatrical vein.

Then Angelika turned his attention to a pair of young Nachfolgians in the corner who were engaged unduly acts. He hadn't noticed them before, mainly because there had been so many tall Nachfolgians blocking his view like a dense forest. Yet now that he did and that Angelika mentioned it, he couldn't help but notice and be surprised by the fact that nobody was reprimanding these two. And they got a pass today just because people knew how it felt to have the chemicals in their brains act weirdly? It was a strange concept for Dietrich, a man who had based much of his reign creating discipline, suppressing exactly such things. Of course he encouraged sexual relationships...but not in public places or places that weren't built just for that purpose. He had to encourage such, concerning the grave losses imposed on Exilvania. The annihilation of the Iron Legion, the First Exilvanian Civil War, the First Battalion Wars, the Return of the Iron Legion, the Second Battalion Wars, the Second Exilvanian Civil War, his own Reign of Terror...his people had suffered much and the numbers he had had on his hands weren't favourable for Exilvanian goals so procreation was very much encouraged.

He silently muttered, so silently that even Angelika would have to focus on it to hear it:

"No warlike nation is against the creation of more warriors."

The song ended shortly thereafter, a new one being queued up right after it. To Dietrich's horror a much faster and rythmic one than the previous one. For a moment he was afraid that Angelika would show him the 'dramatic' preferences of hers in dances...

...and was relieved when she, instead of taking the reigns and bringing a dance of her own, stopped dancing and stepped back. And as the crowd applauded, Dietrich gallantly bowed before them, as his upbringing had taught him.

Now still close yet not as close as before when they were dancing, Angelika once more told him about the core tenets of the Nachfolgian culture, this Duality as she called it. She asked him if it was enlightning for him, flattering him even with telling him that he was the only one to know this. To which he flatly responded:

"I understand the drive and logic behind your Duality, I truly do, mylady. I personally still prefer a different path but I can see why one would take that of your people and I can see its advantages. I had had reports about it all before of course but hearing it out of your mouth, Obersterfuhrurin, and seeing it with my own eyes was a much more real experience."

However, he then leaned in a bit closer, his tone becoming a more...collaborative? Hushed?

"But please, in this modern day and age I cannot believe that I am the ONLY one to know about the Duality. And...my dear Obersterfuhrurin, please forgive me for insinuating such, but I have my doubts about how much you personally truly adhere to this Duality. I have watched you, mylady. I have observed you, determined wether you are the right material for what I intend to propose...and I assume you have done much the same else my own observatios and conclusions are wildly flawed.

But tell me, Obersterfuhrurin, are you truly enjoying yourself here? You speak with such passion about how your people do and show such great examples of them doing so...but you yourself? You seem to me as cold and calculating as ever, mylady. No action of yours does not have a second meaning, nothing you do does not in some way aid in furthering your own power. So tell me Obersterfuhrurin, did you actually enjoy that dance?"