Chapter 1, Act 1 - We Will Be Alive, We Won’t Die
Hero City Orlova, Vozrozhdeniye Oblast
Государственный гимн Федеративной Республики
(State Anthem of the Federal Republic)
(State Anthem of the Federal Republic)
An unbreakable nation of faithful servants,
Great Ustina has sealed forever.
Long live, the creation by the Star’s will,
The united, mighty Federal Republic!
Be glorified, our free motherland,
Reliable stronghold of the people's friendship!
Banner of the Stars, the banner of the nation,
May it lead from victory to victory!
Through storms, the sun of freedom shone on us,
And Great Yazov illuminated our path.
And Great Yazov taught us to be faithful to the Stars,
To faith and glory, we were inspired!
For centuries it has existed, from the rulers of the ancient Adaki Tribes, the old Principality of Ustina, past the glory of the Ustina-Adaki Empire, the decadence of the Adak Provisional Authority, and finally to the modern Vichnayan State where it stands right now. The spires of the Summer Palace have seen the test of the raging winters and countless meaningless conflicts that the Adaki Steppes were home to, housing the great rulers and horrid tyrants that Adaki history was not alien to. From Rurik the Great who established himself as the first King of the Principality of Ustina, the Silent Prince who ended the Reign of Strife, and to Queen Anastasiya, the last reigning monarch of the Ustina-Adaki Empire. The Summer Palace has seen it all, heard it all, experienced it all. Pristine white limestone pillars on the surfaces had the test of cannon and gunshots dug into them, the steps leading to the grande steel, silver, and gold gates had the distinct smell of iron - mostly from the fact that steel, silver, and gold are metallic, but from the blood of both warriors and traitors of the Sacred Stars from centuries to decades past being skewered on the pike-like spikes, and finally the red carpets leading to the Presidential Office of the Vichnayan Federal Republic, much like the rest of the palace, were hundreds of years old and soaked the filth of countless boots from armies past. The halls, decorated by paintings of Princes, Princesses, Tsars, and Tsaritsas past ended with the latest of Vichnayan leaders, were fine-polished and shined with an illuminating glow that even the Stars themselves would be blinded by them and led to the many rooms that contained Vichnaya’s oldest and finest of possessions — one such object, a wine vase, dated from an age where the Adaki language didn’t exist, still in use by the highest echelons of the Vichnayan social hierarchy. The rooms? Not too entirely alien from the Imperial Magican Palaces or the Harrosopian Castles that the West were familiar with aside from the definite Vichnayan cultural ornaments scattered about.
Coastal Fortress City Orlova-on-Kalmar was originally just only one of many ports located on the Kalmar-Tchaivkovsky Bay that granted the many nations that once ruled the Steppes a warm-water port where all things military and civil could take place — and in one rather grim period in the golden age of the Ustina-Adaki Empire, it was the primary location where serfs would be transported to and from the steppes — before growing to prominence when the defenders of the Fortress, the Order of the Winter Star, repulsed the brutish hordes of Riomler from flanking the Imperial Ustinian Army in 1174. Later in 1374, the immense it generated as the vital port in the ever-growing Principality of Ustina crowned it as a Korona-Gorod where the many transport fleets across the world could flood Vichnaya with…the country’s desperate need of food and materials that could stave off the endless winters that the landmass found itself for the next few centuries, and became ever important in the age where the Ustina-Adaki Empire expanded further and further inland of the Adaki Tundra, and Orlova-on-Kalmar a shipbuilding port and a convenient supply depot where most expeditions were planned.
Tsaritsa-Zimnyaya was once just a village on the outskirts of Orlova-on-Kalmar when it was first established in 1065 along with the ports of Orlova-on-Kalmar, a small gathering where the workers from the port would retreat to once the new groups of workers finally made their way for the grueling months-long work details surrounded only by the neighbouring taiga and the wide 3-kilometre wide river that stretched deep into the mainland where non dared to tread further. Over time it expanded as the number of families who decided that the inland of the Adaki Steppes weren’t so accommodating for life, and instead chose the area of land that was more hospitable with the winters to come only killing off a small percentage of the population rather than all. As time went on, it too grew to prominence as more and more flocked to Orlova-on-Kalmar, found out it was packed full, and settled in the town that led to it in the first place.
Ages go and thro throughout the taigas and steppes that surrounded the two cities, buildings rising, falling, and eventually being rebuilt through the years and the hundreds of generations that called Eastern Riomler, Ustina, Ustina-Adaki, Adak-Pravil'nyy, Nizmen-Taiga, and dozens of other names now faded into history home. First came mudDe or mammoth-skin huts, then great wooden structures, then the rock and stone that Vichnayan Naryshkin Baroque-styled architecture would later be famous for and eventually become what the West would use to stereotype Vichnayan cities as looking.
Coastal Fortress City Orlova-iz-Kalmar was simplified to Orlova in 1949 when the Ustina-Adaki Empire fell and replaced with the Adak Provisional Authority — seeking to de-astrothise the country in the wake of ethnic clashes turned full-scale religious war between the native Adaks and Vichnayans — removed the now-bygone Adaki deity of the skies, Kalmarnesser, for a more ethnoreligious-neutral title.
Tsaritsa-Zimnyaya, now a bustling city in itself that commands the grand Zimnyaya-Labnon river with extensive industrial, shipbuilding, and inland shipbuilding infrastructure as well as previously being the home of the Vichnayan Navy, was renamed to Zimnyaya-Gryaz to remove the monarchist elements perceived to be the root of the issues that caused the collapse of the Empire and then-going massacre after massacre.
It was the fatal blow.
The Adaks in the Adak Provisional Authority viewed the changes as attacking a part of their identity, the very soul of the country and spitting on their sacred religion.
The Vichnayans saw the renaming of Tsaritsa-Zimnyaya, named after Tsaritsa Basarab II, a travesty that defiled the name of the Great Mother that led the Empire through the First Astovkan-Vichnayan War.
The Silans saw more of a reason to break off as their Brother Deity was cast off.
The Klendovans sensed trouble arising and split off from the Adak-controlled territories.
The Peskans voiced the same opinions as the Vichnayans and Adaks did and longed for an independent Constis.
Both ethnic groups in Calisa Oblast largely didn’t care.
The Viridian-Adakis, long discriminated against by the rest of the Empire for being a foreign element though proved their worth as effective shock troopers/not-body shields, left en-mass with nearly all but two brigades of the Viridian-Adaki contingent of the White Guards defecting after noticing the slow but bloody rise of the Great Father. This, especially by the Vichnayans, would not be forgotten.
And the rest of the ethnic groups? Largely didn’t matter the small incremental differences were when they largely stood on similar lines as the Adakis and Vichnayans were.
So on and so forth, and led to the collapse of the Adak Provisional Authority in 1951, sparking the worst humanitarian crisis with Adak Defense Force units and Adak fleeing in the wake of the ‘Second Trial’ in Eastern Lyceni. The Greater Astovkan Empire, not one to waste an opportunity, led a decapitation strike alongside Riomler against Orlova where the heads of government of the APA hid and consolidated from, licking their wounds from battle after battle against the ever-increasing amount of splinter factions. The Battle of Orlova would become the largest and most humiliating loss of senior military figures up to that point for the Adaki Steppes as a whole with more than a quarter of generals and admirals killed in the first use of naval-borne jet aircraft.
Bloodshed and bloodshed, endless bloodshed from the borders of what is now Constis, to the Eastern tip of Caeruun-Olgii.
“...1971, Orlova appointed to Hero City by Comrade Allegasov.” Constance adjusted her eyepatch.
She rubbed her eyes, “Wuh-uh?”
“Oh for Star’s sakes-” Constance moved over to her, shoving the flashcard in front of her face, “1971, Orlova appointed as Hero City and the capital by Comrade Allegasov following the end of the Second Great Struggle against the Astovkans.”
Constance blinked, “Y’know I know you’re still stressed about Advanced Physiology or whatever-”
“Physics, not physiology! And you should know that I’m not because the paper is in front of you!”
“And I’m a medical assistant.”
“MORE OF A POINT, CONNY!”
“Well point being is this, my lady-” The MA moved her computer to the side, “-you have a Political-Sciences test this Thursday and a progress report in the coming week, and I want to keep that B+ and a half for me to keep to continue serving as the Gentle Arm of Sister Mokosh.”
“And, well-” Connie tilted her head, “33,000 aurums per month is a joy for people like me, huh?”
“Mhm…” She moved her textbook aside and flicked her head up, the holo screen bathing the dining room in a blue hue as she tapped on nonexistent keys, “...Reminding me about the joys of capitalism after lecturing me about history I already know.”
“Well excuse me! I’m not a smartass so I thought it’d be helpful for you as it is for me.” A chuckle and smile escaped Conny, again adjusting her eyepatch, “Half of the time you’re reliant on coffee so I assumed caffeine would make you forget something!”
She tilted her head, taking a jokeful jab. “You think I don’t have any grace? Of course I’m not!”
“Sure, as if you actually care or something, huh?”
“Just because I’m not getting straight A’s doesn’t mean I don’t care, Con.”
A blink. “You don’t study, I know you don’t study at all, you constantly lambast us about not studying when you don’t as well, hypocrite.”
“...Well that doesn’t mean-”
“My lady? Respectfully, my point is there.”
“Point is…?”
“You’re a subtle smartass with selective hearing.”
“ReSpeCtFuL hEarIng well you’re BLIND.”
“I-I-” Constance raised a brow, “One: Rude. Two: Bro that doesn’t relate to whatever I’m yapping about, wha-”
“Good.” Her smile shined. “That and I study, thank-you-very-much.”
Improper, this was for Shiro Kujō.
Unlike the ethnic Vichnayan, black-haired, blue eye beauty that was Constance Rubinov, Shiro Kujō of House Gotō had peculiar features that many in Vichnaya would consider…unnatural and leaning more towards straight-from-an-anime if one were to use that Viridian psyop term; Natural white-light pink hair, pink eyes, pale skin, and a non-Adaki face to boot, it wasn’t hard to pick her out from a dense crowd if her security was not surrounding her 24/7 thirteen days a week and all that — Was it unique she looked like a mecha yuri protagonist the internet of Vichnaya was fawning over despite airing 2 years ago with no follow-up seasons? Definitely, but it meant attention was drawn to her.
House Gotō was an anomaly within Vichnaya; A house not filled with ethnic Vichnayans, Adakis, or even their sub-ethnogroups from the Northern Oblasts, but minor ethnic groups hailing from Sila and Klendova Oblasts — the head of the house, the ever-necrotic Gotō Arataki, wasn’t a pure-blood Vichnayan, half-blood Adaki, or even a filthy Silan, he, instead was a foreigner from some distant archipelago with possible Viridian ancestry if the state documents about him were any indication. His court, wife, and concubines were like-wise non-Vichnayan in blood even if they had proper documentation — although by right of being born here, his many daughters and sons were technically Vichnayan by birth and thus able to properly succeed into the Vichnayan political system. From customs to the very way they carried themselves was alien to the State Duma; their ill-fitting kimono, architecture of their dwellings within their estates, and…the peculiar food was alien to the Vichnayan people — and because whatever eye-cancer they put out in the occasional advertisement for their locally-owned restaurants that breaks up the monogamy of the usual tea house, became h i g h l y popular.
White-light pink hair, pink eyes, pale skin, small facial features, and an actually kind, pleasant personality who did genuinely care for the people within her oblast, Shiro — along with the uniqueness of coming from her House as a whole — had become widly popular much like everything they seemingly did. Protected by being the heir to a prominent House that even left her mostly protected from even the clutches of the VPKO as well as her popularity from the ever-growing masses of zoomers, she had done her part in speaking about the unspoken that the Federal Republic would’ve preferred to have left not spoken entirely and would’ve done so by simply letting said unsuicidial person commit suicide by throwing themselves off of the 7th floor of their apartment building.
…And being the more popular yet unpopular person in Vichnaya, she was relegated a number of roles that were both satisfactory and unsatisfactory. Visiting factories, military installations, museums, monuments, art houses, libraries, schools, orphanages and many, many more places ON TOP of attending classes on campus.
“My lady?”
Being popular to the Vichnayan people had its perks, of course. For one, the heir to one of the more unique houses in Vichnaya as well as one of the more favourable members of her cast had its obvious benefits that one needn’t list for the sake of time, however, came with the ever unsolicited ‘gifts’ that her fans would send to her whether by physical gifts, surprise appearances in public, or her state-approved email address — that would be one of the few times she would sic the Regional Police on a person. Secondly? Aforementioned protection from the VPKO assuming she doesn’t do anything that even her Father can’t protect her from…which was something she skimmed the lines frequently, admittedly.
“...My lady?” A brow was raised.
And being unpopular to certain circles within the Vichnayan Parliament and State Duma had its downsides and odd benefits. The frequent visits to practically every location in Vichnaya assigned to her via the various Deputies were meant to tire her out which they did…but at the same time, frequent appearances and interactions with the populace made her a familiar face that along with her being just a bit older than the rest of her generation, a relatable one that looked friendlier than the walking corpses that made of the higher casts of the Federal Republic.
Those visits would now, much to her surprise, extend to foreign visits as the reported “Training Exercise Podeba 211” spiralled into a situation where the The Covenant of Solidarity, Collaboration, and Collective Defense or the Orlova Pact were now on the precipice of potentially fighting four of the most influential powers of Lyceni. She wasn’t familiar with geopolitics, though if the occasional National Security Council meeting was any indication…then Vichnaya already had enough on her hands. Shiro could already hear the coffers crying.
“Lady Gotō!” A half-whispered yell came from Constance, shaking her arm gently.
“W-What?” The white-haired straightened out from her slump, “Sorry- say again, please? Nearly knocked myself out and all.”
Shiro rubbed her eyes as Constance continued, clearing her voice and pointing to the side “Errr…”
“And what's with the honorifics out of a sudden?”
“...”
“Conny?”
“The door, Lady Gotō.”
The heiress glanced towards the door, colour-blind as she was with the fake grass outside seemingly yellow-tinted, she could see certain moving blobs outside her room through the brightly-coloured stained glass. Distorted as they were with the glass obviously discolouring their actual clothing, it was apparent they weren’t civilian clothing.
She bit her lip and looked towards the clock on the wall. Was it time already? She must’ve lost track of time for the fourteenth bloody time this day.
“Your Highness!”
The two stopped and paused, moreso for Constance. A knock on the door and that voice was not one of her maids.
“Your Highness,” Muffled shuffling of paper was heard behind the door, “Parliament requests you to parlay. Comrade Vita and your chauffeur is awaiting you in the Tigr.”
Shiro brought her hand over, speaking louder, “May I know who you are, Comrade?”
“Comrade Junior Sergeant Artemenko of the Commissariat, your Highness.” A pair of boots shuffled again, “With me is Comrade Gefreiter Varyushkin of the Commissariat.”
Checking the monitor mounted on the side of the wall, she could see two people both wearing the ever-iconic and stereotypical ushankas, grey greatcoats, and thick knee-high jackboots that the Vichnayan populace had become familiar with seeing as nearly everyone who was above the drinking age had served their fair share of military service and a staple of what the stereotypical Vichnayan looked like. But for the populace? Subtle details meant everything that the Western brains would not pick up on easily. Such was the colour of the gorget patches, shoulder patches, and the golden belt that differentiated themselves.
The All-Vichnayan Commissariat for Political and Social Security, known simply as the VPKO. Distrusted by even the Vichnayan populace and deeply hated in the country of traitors and brigands to the motherland’s south, the name alone was a good indication of what the institution did and has done throughout the decades.
“Reformed into a pseudo-therapist role, ensuring the morale of each individual soldier was high, and their spirits warm. Gone are the days when they could lead entire armies into battles against the orders of their cowardly generals, and gone are the days when they held absolute might over the citizenry and government of Vichnaya. Nowadays they are a more peaceful organization.”
Westerners. They believe everything that isn’t coming from the mouths of their own authorities, truly Alexiandran.
“Conny?”
“Ye…Yeah?” The eye-patched woman coughed, recomposing herself after silence. “I mean- Yes, my Lady?”
“Just ask Comrade Kazimir if you need a ride later, or Mistress Vita if I’m back here earlier than expected.”
“Mhm…”
“Alright,” Shiro sighed and turned towards the door. ‘Just…Hey, they’re not here for you. You’re not on a list.”
“Hard to say that I’m confident in that considering last month, your Lady. And apologies for that quip of mine.”
Shiro sighed again, stared at the door before walking back and sitting down with her friend. She grasped her wrists gently, soothing her voice, “Conny? You’re going to be fine, I promise you that. We will be alive, we won’t die. I’m sure of that.”
Constance coughed before giving a dry chuckle, “You’re sure of everything.”
“And I’m sure of that.”
Chapter 1, Act 02 - In A Quiet Lagoon, Devils Dwell
Hero City Orlova, Vozrozhdeniye Oblast
Song of the United Armies (Песня объединённых армий)
We'll strike in response to aggression,
The land of Vichnayans and Caeruuns,
Usti-Labnonskans and Astovkans, Aldoreans, Adaks–
Try to count us!
Friends, friends, keep your gunpowder dry,
Friends, friends, align your strong formation!
For children's laughter in sunny expanses,
For our motherland, for our motherland, We are ready for battle!
The land of Vichnayans and Caeruuns,
Usti-Labnonskans and Astovkans, Aldoreans, Adaks–
Try to count us!
Friends, friends, keep your gunpowder dry,
Friends, friends, align your strong formation!
For children's laughter in sunny expanses,
For our motherland, for our motherland, We are ready for battle!
He had faint memories of a lifetime past. The ever-exhausted face of his father returning back to their summer dacha with the stench of gunpowder that even his mother revolted at by even being in his general vicinity. They loved each other— perhaps a bit too much with over 12 siblings, of course, always having playfully bantered back and forth between one and another and that horrid stench his father had was promptly rectified, but that was when he learned of something new: Disgust. When his brothers came back from raiding the neighbouring villages for supplies their family could use such as linen, bricks, rebar, or simply food and water, he was of course happy, but there was a new thing he learned of those passing days: Confusion. When he joined the Defences Forces of the Adak Provisional Authority as a Motor Rifleman, climbing through the ranks and fighting tooth-and-nail to not have whatever belongings stolen by the other conscripts around him, he learned of a new emotion: Annoyance. When he saw the world around him fall apart as the Adak Provisional Authority collapsed, he saw a new perspective on the harsh world that was Eastern Lyceni, the continent of Arcturus: Rage, and the urge for something more unified.
He has had memories of careers past. Barely 21 when he joined the fledgling Federal Republic as one of the many instruments of the most infamous internal security and intelligence agency of the Great Adaki Steppes, and indeed, the world itself, The All-Vichnayan Commissariat for Political and Social Security or known simply as the VPKO. As surprising as it may be for the viewers, the VPKO wasn’t entirely Vichnayan as the name of the agency may have proclaimed, but instead, made up of a multitude of people from groups across Lyceni, from Costa Resan barmen in the far West, the Alexandrian bank tellers, Harrosopian zookeepers, Riomlerian construction workers, Aldorean imam’s, Usti-Labnonskan cultists, Magican dock workers, and many, many more that the VPKO had kept tight lid on. He especially, being a former officer of the 41st Directorate for Internal Security — the arm of the VPKO responsible for counter-intelligence, political, and socioreligious control of the Federal Republic, would know.
It took years past two wars against the Astovkans, the quagmire that was politics and elections at a local, oblast, and ultimately a national level, all the while sorting through the various social and economic hellscape that was 1970s-1990s Vichnaya. Sure, the adoption of the National Automated System for Computation and Information Processing or OGAS had certainly helped, but the majority of the work that had to be implemented was done by hand, and saw through by man, not machine. Techno-fetishists to borrow what the Westerners had called them? Perhaps. But stupid? That could be left to the Riomlerians.
In the end, he had reformed the corrupt and despotic mess that was in the ranks of the Adak Provisional Authority.
In the end, he straightened out the hundreds of ethnic groups that presided over the Federal Republic- no, Eastern Lyceni to be unified under one cause, under one religion, and in the grasps of the Holy Sisters that watched from the heavens above.
In the end, he brought order to the vast Steppes of the Great Lyceni East, even if it came at the price of blood split over its black, fertile fields.
Andrei Yazov had lived through much, he was an old man now.
Before him were 88 members of Government, hailing from the National Security Council of Vichnaya, Chiefs of Staff for the Vichnayan Armed Forces, all three VPKO Directors and a multitude of sub-directors, various military personnel from the Covenant of Solidarity, Collaboration, and Collective Defense, and finally, representatives from the various V-MIC companies centralised under ‘AdakTec’. All of them were familiar faces seeing as he still maintained that ever-sharp memory of his throughout these years, and most notably, Mara Auclair of Mara Industries.
"Arise, comrades!" One of the butlers yelled out, garnering the attention of everyone as they stood up. "The meeting will be starting within five minutes, refreshments will be given out starting now and will be regularly refilled at the moment of that red button on your seat's right side!"
Next to him, a maid followed suit, pointing to two doors at the back of the room, "If you require anything else, then please ask one of your most humble servants or the gentlemen and women standing guard outside."
He'd nod, stepping out with his chest puffing out. "As always, we thank you for attending this meeting organized by the President and his most holy Excellency. Glory to the Scared Stars, Glory to Comrade Yazov - our Eternal Leader, the Mantle of the Great Sisters, the Architect of Salvation for the Great Steppes, Liberator of Nations, and our Dear Father!"
«Слава, Слава, Слава!»
The applause went on for Yazov as he stood up, and following three to four minutes of it straight followed by the occasional ‘Slava!’’ It continued on and on.
On and on.
On and on.
On and on…
Everyone’s eyes were locked onto him, mixed with fanaticism and…fear. The clapping continued for four minutes, then five minutes then a further eight minutes – their hands were so red and worn that he was sure their skin was beginning to tear off.
Of course, those 8 minutes were merely there for the servants to have out the proper refreshments and the civil servants to prepare whatever documents were necessary for them. Once those five minutes were up? It was game on.
He raised his hand to silence them.
"Ladies, Gentlemen, Misc," He'd clear his throat, "As of this time, the 263rd meeting of the National Security Council of Vichnaya will begin after this speech, as well as the 89th meeting of the Covenant of Solidarity, Collaboration, and Collective Defense. Comrade Andreyeva of the Government Personnel Accountability Office,” he motioned over to the woman sitting in the corner, “Will be designated as the timekeeper, whilst Political Directorate Leader 3rd Class Gregori Makovich of the VPKO will be keeping notes.”
“Questions may be asked to those presenting, remember that Ladies, Gentlemen, and all those in between, but do remember that I will be asking my own if I require…a bit more information.” Finally, much to the relief of his body, he leaned back onto his seat, “If that is all for me to say, are there any questions for you all to ask before this is properly starts?”
Silence.
“Hmph,” He turned to Andreyeva, nodded to her, then back to the crowd. “If there’s no questions to be asked...As per proper procedure and by the powers indited to me by the Ustinian Constitution, the Treaty of Orlova, and as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Vichnayan Federal Republic, the Principality of Astovka, the Kingdom of Usti-Labnonska, the Khanate of Caeruun-Olgii, the Republic of Aldar Kose, and the lands blessed by the Sisters above, I hereby commence the gathering of nations.”
“Comrades Andreyeva and Makovich, please set the timer and start the record. Comrades of the Vichnayan Aerospace Forces, Astovkan Air Force, Usti-Labnonskan Aerospace Forces, Aldorean Aerospace Forces, and Khanate’s Aerospace Forces, you may take the floor first with the Maritime Forces next.”
First rose Pyotr II Nakhimov, Sky Marshal of the Vichnayan Aerospace Forces. He took a brief pause before speaking in a gingerly manner. “Your Grace, in light of the current strategical whirlwind that the Covenant has found itself in, all available aviation and air-defence regiments and battalions in the Combined Aerospace Forces of the Orlova Pact have been brought up to the minimum Catagory II readiness level and have been placed on ELEVATED alert — to current estimates if you were to look at the Aerospace Forces Packet…” Promptly, Yazov reached for the sky-blue packet labelled VKS-FR/UL/CU/LSA, “...all fighter and interceptor regiments are currently standing at Catagory I readiness level aside from three regiments in the Eastern Military District, with force dispositions aimed in the Western and South-Eastern Military Districts whilst the Central Military District holds the fewest with the 7th and 10th Air Armies of the VKS-FR. Bomber and attack regiments have fallen short of expectations with half at Catagory II readiness and the remaining falling in Catagory III or IV readiness from maintenance and manpower issues — and I assure you comrades, which will be rectified in the days to come. Currently, Usti-Labnonskan and Caeruun aviation regiments fall in Category II readiness, while all Astovkan aviation regiments stand on Category I readiness. ”
“And to add to that,” An Astovkan general stood up, “The Astovkan Luf-” She paused, coughed, before coughing with a tinge of fear in her eyes, “- pardon me, Aerospace Forces are currently deploying to the Central and Eastern Military Districts to assist the rest of our brothers and sisters in the Covenant’s Aerospace Forces. Currently, the primary threat assigned to VKS-LSA has been the Viridian Air Force and their ground-based air-defence contingent which we are planning around accordingly, and specifically, these railguns of theirs – they vary in calibre, however as shown in previous briefings, they’ve become an integral part of wide-area air defence and currently acts as their primary conventional deterrence against aerospace, naval, and ground forces.”
Papers flipped as the Sky Marshal continued where the general stopped, “Fighter aviation, frontal aviation, and bomber aviation regiments of the Vichnayan Aerospace are currently centralized in the Western and South-Western Military Districts with 3 Air Armies forward deploying to the aforementioned districts, two remaining Air Armies are held in the Central Military Districts, and sparse interceptor, fighter, and bomber aviation regiments are held in the Eastern Military District. Aviation regiments from Astovka, Usti-Labnonska, Caeruun-Olgii, and Aldar Kose are shoring up positions in the Central and Eastern Military Districts.”
“Ya Amee,” General Abdul Suhaila Cheragh-Ali of the Aldorean Aerospace Forces stood up,proud and bombastic as the Aldoreans proclaimed they were. “The Aldorean Aerospace Forces are currently held at ELEVATED Alert and stand at Catagory III readiness but raising to Catagory II readiness in the next few months!”
The Astovkan general sighed, “Which you’ve said for the last three meetings, Comrade?”
General Cheragh-Ali shot two, burning daggers at her, “And I’m assuring you that progress has been made in modernising according to plan. Progress is not made easily in the graveyard of heretics – you should know that, woman.”
“Err..” The Sky Marshal continued, “The distribution of Sukhoi Su-60As, SMs, and SMTs are in motion, however, the vast majority of our current aircraft park are Su-57, Su-75s, and variants of the Su-35. The rest of the Combined Aerospaces of the Covenant maintains a mixture of MiG-29s, MiG-35s, Su-27s, and an operationally insignificant amount of Su-75s they’ve purchased. As the Vichnayan Aerospace Forces are the only bomber operator in the Orlova Pact, most of our bomber fleet consists of modernised Tu-16s, Tu-22,s and Tu-95s with a smaller fleet of Tu-160s and Tu-200s coming into service and have been primarily deployed in the Central and Eastern Military Districts to counter Viridian and Magican Forces. SVKO Regiments across the board with S-350s, S-400s, and S-500s are currently held in all Military Districts, and upcoming S-600 and S-700 Regiments are planned to be forward deployed to the Western Military District.”
Yazov flipped through the packet. “VDV and Ground Force air assault brigades and divisions are likewise centralized in the Western, South-Western, and Central Military Districts. Currently all VDV Airborne Divisions and most Air Assault Divisions are held in those three military districts, while the remaining VDV Airborne and Air Assault Brigades are distributed between the Central and Easter Military Districts. Usti-Labnonskan and Astovkan Airborne forces are currently only stationed in their countries, and the Aldoreans are still reforming theirs.”
“In summary, Comrades, the Aerospace Forces of the Covenant will have a definite technological advantage however we are outnumbered by the West and Magica in personnel and manpower — most especially from Riomler to our West while the Magican Air Force can be dealt with in detail. Our foes are not too far off, however, I expect coming Su-60, Su-94, drone, and S-600, and S-700 deliveries will even the gap as we mobilise. Combat air patrols, interceptions, reconnaissance missions, and many others are currently underway as we speak.” He’d clear his throat, “Our primary concern comes from the Riomlerian Air Force massed at our Western border with possible reinforcements from the Alexiandran Air Force, the Viridian Air Force and their air defence systems to our South, and the Magican Navy to our East – all three fronts we stand above them technologically, however, we are sorely trumped in sheer bodies and airframes alone.”
“...And in our efforts in “assisting” the Magicans in our now-combined efforts in crushing the Reds? Then my counterparts in the Maritime Forces shall explain. That is all.” He bowed, looking back to his Great Leader.
“Thank you, Comrade.” Yazov motioned to the middle table now. “Comrade Admirals of the Vichnayan Navy, Astovkan Kriegsmarine, Khanate’s Navy, Usti-Labnonskan Navy, and the Aldar Kose Naval Service, you may present now. The Ground Forces shall be next, then our comrades in the Commissariat shall go next.”
Mikhail Konstantinovich Havelock stood up, the Lord Admiral of the Vichnayan Federal Republic. “The Navies of the Covenant are likewise standing at Readiness Condition ELEVATED Category II for all Military District, with the Northern and Eastern Military District standing at Readiness Condition MILITARY DANGER, Catagory I. Of the twenty-three fleets in the services of our Dearest Sisters, seven are in Catagory II readiness condition and three – White Guards – are held in Catagory I readiness. Currently, six of the of the seven fleets under the Vichnayan Navy are oriented in the Western and Northern Military Districts, with the 8th White Guards Imperial Banner Fleet assigned to the Eastern Military District. The Astovkan, Usti-Labnonskan, and Khanate’s navies are at full readiness condition and at Catagory II readiness with some exceptions; the 34. Flotte of the Astovkan Kriegsmarine are currently experiencing severe manpower, maintenance, and supply issues as two of their Astovka-Class Battlecruisers are still undergoing repairs from the last war. The vast majority Vichnayan Navy is currently operating in the Tchaivkovsky Sea, Polar Star Ocean, and the Sagittarius Straits in deterrence actions against the West and most surface elements of the 8th Fleet have since returned from the Magican Special Peacekeeping Operation we attempted two months prior, with the exception of the 19th Carrier Ship Division, 13th Surface Ship Division, and the 200th Assault Ship Division as our promised aid to the sorokis in quelling this civil war of theirs.”
The Lord Admiral nodded to another person on his table followed by a Reichsadmiral standing up, “Mein Herr, the Astovkan Navy is currently deployed in the Magican Sea with whatever we’re able to scavenge and repair — and as the Lord Admiral as stated previously,” He coughed. Yazov noticed his…poor pronunciation, grammar, and overall understanding of the Vichnayan language, “Suffering supply issues. Mainly in the delivery and maintenance of the propulsion and fire-control systems while integration of S-500F missiles unfortunately has gone equally fruitless. We, however, are still able to get two divisions of destroyers and frigates up and running, and the Marie Galland will shortly join the Hartmann once training of their aviators has finished.”
A Usti-Labnonskan Vice Admiral raised his hand, “The Navy of the High Kingdom stands with our brothers and sisters under the banner of the Sacred Stars! We’ve deployed all available vessels in our struggle against the heretical Westerners in the Southern tropics and the brigands and traitors in the South, and our comrades in the Khanate’s Maritime Forces…”
“...Will be under the leadership of our Vichnayan Comrades, Yerööltei negentei suudag ezen mini..” The admiral coughed, “And as previous briefings have explained, the Khanate’s warships shan’t be the edges leading to the tip of the spear, but providing assistance in deterrence actions against the Viridian Navy.”
An aide raised a brow, “Deterrence actions? Comrades, the Viridian Navy consists of 60-year-old warships they commandeered from us when the thrice-damned traitors left! They can’t be much of a threat aside from those railguns they like flashing in our faces now?”
The Khanate Admiral shook his head, “Unfortunately, nyet/.”
Lord Admiral Havelock spoke up next, “Viridian naval strategy is one of calculated brute force in conjunction with Raya’s Spears if intelligence is correct — those railguns they’re fitting onto every vessel larger than a destroyer and those old Ustina-Class Battleships of theirs are capable of HIMAD and CIWS just as equally as our S-600s and S-700s by our estimates. Of course, there’s also their escort vessels that simply engage missile, aerial, and submarine incoming threats while their rust-buckets battleships deal with them once they’ve come into range.”
The Khanate Admiral continued, “Incredibly flawed as the strategy is, thats a public statement from the Viridian Ministry of Defence and bits and pieces we were able to attain from intelligence. We’re expecting a strategy to be more nuanced than that and those Raya Spears are going to be the primary targets among other targets should Exercise Yug-1200 be enacted.”
Another aide raised their hand, this time from the VPKO’s table. “The forces in the Magican theatre, Comrades?”
“...Which we will be talking about now,” Lord Admiral Havelock pinched his nose, “The 26th White Guards Naval Infantry Imperial Banner Naval Infantry Brigade have since been deployed on the Oppalline Islands Prefecture in conjunction with Magican Imperial Guard brigade where they are both being supported by our carriers in the 19th Carrier Ship Division, missile bombardment and air defence from the 13th Surface Ship Division, and naval gunfire support from Magican battleships — in all honesty, I expected all of them to have been sunk by now even if the Reds had…outdated equipment.”
A skim through the graphs and documents within the packet read 23 casualties, 4 dead, an Mi-28 damaged, and several BMP-3Us damaged with Red Magicans estimated to have suffered higher losses though with no specific numbers, primarily from UCAV, missile, and artillery bombardments. Photos of a landing, the burning carcass of a Red Magican BMP, the remains of a foxhole and its occupants – all so familiar, the smell, the look, the vivid red on the black-and-white photo.
“Excellent, Lord Admiral, excellent.” He clasped his hands, exhaling softly. “I expect more of the good news in the coming weeks.”
“I thank you for your kind words, Mr. President.” The Lord Admiral bowed, an arm crossing his chest horizontally in an old Ustinian salute. “Our comrades in the archipelago will be expected to return once all resistance has been mopped out in…two weeks assuming the traitors don’t pull anything on our Southern axis.”
A hum before he cleared his throat, “In summary, Comrades. Current deterrence operations against the Alexandrians, Harrsopians, and Riomlerians to the West have gone according to plan in delaying forces heading to the Riomlerian theatre estimated to have been two or three weeks, the Magicans in the south are currently tied up with dealing with the remnants of the Red’s Navy and, while a threat, can be decisively eliminated should Exercise Yug-1100 be activated, the Viridians are currently squabbling with the Keltish in border disputes and remain a primarily land-based threat that will be effectively countered as our S-600s and S-700s are distributed. In conflict where we spar against all powers at once, the Maritime Forces of the Covenant are projected to fight a war of attrition against the heretics and traitors for 4 years, 6 years if the Alexiandran orbital weapon platforms are shot immediately down within a month of the war starting. Our primary threats come from the Alexiandran Navy as their carrier strike groups and submarines will require our most-immediate attention to deal with, and the Magican Navy as they remain the dominant regional power in the Magican Sea. The Viridians…? Details are inconclusive, though their reliance on their battleships and land-based railguns can be exploited, and their naval air arm is only in its infancy seeing as they have only deployed their first carrier just three years prior.”
“Thank you, Lord Admiral. Comrades of the Vichnayan Ground Forces, the Astovkan Army, the Usti-Labnonskan Army, the Ground Forces of the Khanate, and the Army of Aldar Kose, you may now speak.” Yazov coughed, “And please, do make it quick if possible.”
“Will do, M-Mój przywódca,” Stood the head of the third table now. “Because of Marshal Katskaya’s lack of presence from the flu, a representative from the Deputy Military Head of the Kingdom of Usti-Labnonska shall take her place. Currently the Ground Forces of the Covenant stand at Readiness Condition MILITARY DANGER in all Military Districts and readiness catagories comes as follows: the Western Military District as a whole stands at category I readiness with minor manpower issues in the Shock Armies; the South-Western Military District stands at category I readiness for Vichnayan units while Aldorean Forces fall at category II or IV readiness with poor retention of manpower, inadequate logistical practices and facilities, and corruption plaguing them; the Northern Military District stands at Category I with the 9th White Guards Imperial Banner 'Order of Vichnaya' Shock Army and its subordinate units standing firm aide from a few elements forward deployed to Aldar Kose; the Central Military District stands at Category III but raising to Category II with motor rifle and tank brigades being mobilized the 20th and 27th Combined Arms Armies, further reinforcements from my motherland and Astovka; the Eastern Military District held at Category II readiness with our comrades in Caeruun-Olgii mobilizing and modernizing; and the Northern Pole-Military District held at Category IV readiness with only Vichnayan and Astovkan conscript forces just now mobilizing and reorganizing, which should be amended by Vichnayan National Guard units moving in to aid them.”
Captain Kukuła flipped through a few more pages, followed by the rest of the room. “...If you would please flip to Page 14 of Packet 89, currently our primary threats come from the Riomlerians to our West and the Viridians to our South — the former which is reinforced by Alexiadran, Harrosopian, and a Magican brigades with more coming from Alexiandra from the REFORGE Campaign. Currently, we are equal to the Riomlerian military in personnel count overall though inferior in the Western theatre — albeit while we make up in technological superiority for now, the heretical West have access to vast amounts of modern equipment that is equal to ours in some regards. The Viridians…are an oddity. Much like our Covenant where there is a mixture of both modern and modernised vintage equipment still in service, and their forces deployed on our Southern Border seem to consist of units equal to or slightly inferior to our own based on ISR data. General Suhaila?”
“Thank you, Comrade.” The Aldorean General stood up, “Based on what we can see, the heretics are continuing to mass on the borders of my Aldar Kose, Usti-Labnonska, and Greater Keltland though primarily on us. Intelligence reports and confirms the passage of heavy mechanized and motorised forces by the Ulan-Kichera, Sayanogorsk, and Novomaskii gaps, and their artillery, air defence, and railgun installations indicate this may be a potential staging ground. Their equipment seems to be inferior or equal to ours, though they appear to have inferior artillery and air defence aside from those railguns they’re stationing on fortresses dispersed around the border.”
The Captain continued, “A Magican landing on Caeruun-Olgii has been deemed a low-priority threat, and current aims are centred on the Keltish, Comrades.”
“Overall, Comrades? The Riomlerina border is currently the focus of current operations, followed by the South-Western Military District that borders both Riomler and Viridia, and followed closely by the Central Military District where the majority of the Ground Forces and SVKO units are deployed. The Eastern MD is rerouting forces to support the Central MD and the Keltish Border, and the Northern Pole MD is mobilizing and reorganizing conscript units in their jurisdiction. The combined Ground Forces of the Covenant is ready to engage in heavy combat operations for an estimated six years on all fronts, pushing eight years if production requirements are met. That’s all, M’lord.”
“You’ve done well and, at the very least,” The President motioned over to the Ground Forces, “Yours were the shortest.” He reached and opened down to the final packet, “The All-Vichnayan Commissariat for Political and Social Security, the Ministry of State Security, the National Commissariat for Political and Social Security, and the VPKO of the Khanate and Aldar Kose will present as the last and final party following a short recess.”
“Comrade Andreyeva? How much time do we have left?”
“An hour and fifty minutes, Comrade Yazov.”
“Thank the Sisters-” A soft sigh escaped his lips, “Now, Gentleman. The meeting is now adjourned and we’re now in recess. A buffet with refreshments will be available. Any questions?”
A hand raised and Yazov squinted.
“Comrade…?”
“Deputy director Estmutas, Your Highness.” The pale, old man who seemed to be even older than Yazov, “Of the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, pleased to meet your acquaintance.”
“And to yours as well, Comrade Deputy Director,” Yazov noted how the man still retained his Astovkan accent but…laced with old Ustinian pronunciation of certain words. “Now, your question?”
“It's regarding the dignitary to Magica - frankly me and my counterparts in the Commissariat…” He motioned to Makovich, “...view her as too much of a security risk, a ‘wildcard’ as the Alexiandrans would call her with how ingrained she is in the Western thinking that's poisoning our youth, wouldn’t you think? I believe her sister would be much the better suitor should things come down to it.”
Director Makovich stepped up. As usual, he had his face concealed by the mask he wore, “And on another note…she would be a poor suitor with how late the Stars-damned woman is acting. She’s raised of that old Ustinian royalty, that's to be sure, Great Comrade, but she’s one that's foreign to even the Magicans. Even if she’s there officially as merely a dignitary, both you and I know that card will be played should the need arise — especially if this peace deal isn’t benefitting the both of us.”
Estmutas stepped up, “And regardless if it benefits and applies for us and the heretics in the West…there’s always the traitors to the South, and the Dragon-worshippers lower down.”
Yazov blinked, then shook his head, “It will be explained in detail next meeting, Comrades.”
“And of the transmission? I haven’t been informed of a communique from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as of yet.”
The Mantle of the Great Sisters smiled, “It was sent as this meeting was adjourned, Comrades.”
