347 Two Birds in One Stone
In the Command Ops, Alexander was watching the progress of the Ruthenian military in the course of the war. Ruthenia Empire, marked red on the map, is slowly creeping its color westward. Some of which already covered the Deutschland above Warsaw, the Königsberg. Aware of its strategic importance for the Ruthenia Empire, such as its being warm water, made it was imperative for the military to take it from the Deutschland Empire.
It was the first major victory of the Ruthenia Empire. Taking over increased the morale of the troops on the first line. Now, the Ruthenia Empire is reacting at every point of the western theater. Forming an iron curtain that blocks the combined invasion forces of the Austrean Empire and the Deutschland Empire.
Since it was just three days since the war, nothing notably has happened so far except the Battle of Königsberg. Every major nation is still in the process of mobilization its troops to join the Deutschland Empire and the Austrean Empire.
“Your Majesty, we have already drafted a plan to invade Berlin,” the Minister of Defense, Alexei, said as he stood.
“Great. So how are we going to do that?” Alexander asked, not bothering to look at Alexei, instead, he kept his gaze up on the LCD screen.
The screen changed and Alexei began
“We call it the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation. The Imperial Ruthenian Air Forces will conduct airstrikes on Berlin military installations such as airfields, anti-aircraft batteries, and communication towers. Then we bomb Berlin with our Super Heavy Bomber Aletina, who will shake the will of the population. After the bombing campaign, the Imperial Armed Forces, specifically the Belorussian, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian Forces will march all the way to Berlin in a two-pronged attack, surrounding the capital and taking down the Deutschland Empire.”
Alexander rubbed his chin as he pondered the details of the plan. He knew to himself that he is weak when it comes to military warfare, so they let the professionals, and the generals form a plan and he will be the one authorizing it.
According to the details of their plan, he noticed the military’s love for superior firepower doctrine. Using the Air Force to weaken the enemy’s defenses and once they are at it, the ground forces of the Ruthenia Empire will overwhelm them with sheer numbers of tanks, infantry, and armored personnel carriers.
“How long is it going to take to prepare the forces for the preparation?” Alexander asked.
“Your Majesty, at your orders, we will commence the plan within five days.”
“Five days? So, you are saying that you can amass and coordinate a large number of troops in a mere five days?”
“With our latest communication technology, it’ll be easy for us to transmit orders to the troops in the frontline. Not to mention, we will also have eyes in the sky using our reconnaissance aircraft that is tracking down the movement of our troops twenty-four-seven. If there’s an improvisation to make, we will make it and transmit it to the generals on the field. So, yes, Your Majesty, we can.”
“If I give the go signal for the operation, how long will the operation take to capture the capital of the Deutschland Empire?”
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“Okay…” Alexander sighed, leaning his back against his seat. So basically, they are proposing a blitzkrieg.
Honestly speaking, Alexander wanted to end this war quickly. However, he knew that was not possible when they are hell-bent on exacting revenge on the Ruthenia Empire for the crimes it did not commit. There is one way but he won’t consider it yet. So far, the land forces are winning and despite the odds, the Ruthenia Empire is winning at the earlier stage.
If only they could get their hands on one of the highest ranking officials in the inner sphere of Black Hand and had them tell the truth to the truth that it was they who killed the royal families and the Ruthenia Empire has nothing to do with it.
Speaking of which.
“Your Majesty…a report from London,” Sevastian stepped forward. He leaned over Alexander’s ears and whispered. “The Reaper and the package have reached the extraction point and they are preparing to leave as we speak. The battleship can’t be towed so they already activated the scuttling sequence.”
“Is there anything beyond that?” Alexander whispered back.
“According to the Reaper, the package confessed its affiliation with the Black Hand.”
“I fucking knew it,” Alexander cursed softly. “Well, thanks. That’s one rat down.”
“So it was the mission you gave to Rolan huh, Your Majesty?”
“Yes,” Alexander stood and continued. “Alexei, you have my authorization. Do what you have to do.”
“Yes Your Majesty,” Alexei saluted.
“So what now, Your Majesty?” Sevastian asked.
Alexander walked up to Sevastian so close that Sevastian needed to take a step backward.
“Your Majesty…what’s the matter?”
“Sevastian. How’s your investigation going with Rolan? Did you find anything yet?”
“None so far, Your Majesty. His records were clean and doesn’t have connections outside the Ruthenia Empire. But I’m sure the needle is somewhere within the haystack. Every person makes a mistake.”
Alexander nodded agreeably. “True, every person makes a mistake. Including you.”
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?” Sevastian stammered.
Alexander made a beckoning flick of a finger and two people approached them. It was the Foreign Intelligence Service Director, Bobrinsky, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Dmitri.
Dmitri handed Alexander the file and passed it over to Sevastian.
“Open it,” Alexander said.
Sevastian opened the file and there he found black-and-white pictures of him handing a file to a butler-looking man in one of the private rooms of Buckingham Palace. He flipped through the pages and saw many of his pictures handing classified documents to a hooded figure. Not only that but there is also private correspondence in there with letters, especially the one he thought would never be found by anyone.
“Where did you get this..?”
“Ah…Sevastian, how can you be so stupid and smart at the same time?” Alexander said. “If you don’t want something to be seen, then remove it from existence. Like burning them to ash. But no, you kept it under your own little basement underneath your extravagant palace.”
“You broke into my palace?” Sevastian asked, his eyes trembling, face turning pale.
“Not just a simple break-in. According to the agents who break into your home, they come across your guards who shoot first before asking questions. They killed about ten of them. They scoured every crook and cranny of your palace while you are here playing the position of National Security Advisor. Ruthenia is at war so that means you’ll have to be in the Command Ops until the war ends. This was really a great opportunity for me. Not only did I catch one of the executives of the Black Hand, but I also caught a traitor.”
“No…no…this isn’t true,” Sevastian said his voice breaking. “These are all lies and fabrications!”
“So I gathered,” Alexander said. “Sevastian, I didn’t know you were connected with the Black Hand from the start. It was a huge discovery for me. You are the asshole who instigated the murder of my father and mother.”
As soon as Alexander said that, two armed guards stepped forward. The military and civilian staffers in the Command Ops all looked at them curiously and inquisitively.
“So, why don’t we take a brief look at the past and explain how we got here?”