Inquisitor's Promise (Act Three, Chapter Eleven)

The Holy League had been united, but the Grey Globe continued to move towards Earth. Aeneas and the members of his inner circle knew they had much to do and little time to prepare.

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Chapter Eleven: War Preparations

The hive-city of Bucar Tepes had a different look than most hive cities on Earth. Its buildings were more darkly colored. Its architecture was closer to the rounded buildings that were found in Nepoli. Surrounding the hive city itself was a great wall that turned Bucar Tepes into an almost impregnable fortress; almost because the combined forces of the Holy League had once conquered the hive city to suppress the Vampiric Revolutions of 7001.

On the northern side of the wall was the Bucar Tepes Sky Port. A large airship bearing the Imperial insignia landed on it.

The tall, regal figure of Emperor Hannegan stepped outside, flanked by Imperial soldiers armed with rifles. Giving them a warm welcome was Tsar Nikolai and his wife the Tsarina Omaha. But the Emperor of Texarkana was not particularly pleased.

“I do wish that we meet up in Zagrad, that place has a better atmosphere,” Hannegan muttered.

“The Royal capital is more beautiful to be sure,” Nikolai responded. “But Bucar Tepes is closer to the Azov. A better place for rendezvousing our troops.”

Hannegan nodded. “You’re right. I just can’t help but think of the Vampiric Revolutions when I look at this place. It was the center of it.”

At this point, Omaha stepped forward. “Let us not dwell on sordid history, papa.”

With that, the three of them moved into the Tsarina’s Palace. The colorful castle, a contrast to the rest of the city, once served as the residence of the Tsar until the crown of Slavia passed onto the House of Harlemov. Upon which the royal residence was moved back to the old capital of Zagrad.

Once more, the three of them discussed the logistics of the invasion.

“I have gathered all of the troops I could get from the Thirteen Protectorates,” Emperor Hannegan declared.

Omaha smiled, impressed by her father’s handiwork. “All thirteen of them. Amazing.”

The emperor nodded. “Texarkana, Omaha, Mon Tana, San Angeles, Nuyork, Mon Treal, Ciqarra, Deseret, Mejico, Pan Am, Bracil, Andea, and Rio Plata all stand behind us. And our associated Imperial members, too.”

“Symbolic gestures are one thing,” Nikolai began. “But what of soldiers. What are they sending to us?”

“In total, we have about five hundred thousand fighting men from the Imperial contingent,” Hannegan said.

“Five hundred thousand Imperial soldiers. And how many do we have, milord?” Omaha asked her husband.

“I’m happy that you asked, darling,” Nikolai said with smile. “The Slavian contingent, counting the Cossacks and foreign auxiliaries should count about close to five hundred thousand soldiers as well.”

“Which means that we have a million soldiers to invade the Azov,” Omaha concluded.

Nikolai nodded. “That should be enough to retake the Azov for the Holy League, allowing us to focus our attention on the Grey Globe afterwards.”

“But it does make one wonder,” Omaha said, deep in thought. “Why do the black cats insist on undermining us? Surely, they know that we are the ones who can stop the Grey Globe?”

Nikolai smiled. “Darling, if you ask those questions then you have no right to call our Inquisitor Aeneas naïve.”

“Oh?” Omaha took no offense at her husband’s teasing, but she was curious. “Do tell.”

Nikolai grinned in response to his wife’s challenge. “As you wish. Firstly, you assume that everyone on Earth accept the dangers of the Grey Globe. They don’t. Some saw the Grey Globe as a completely fabricated myth, meant as the means to unify the Holy League.”

“What?!” Omaha exclaimed. “That’s ridiculous, the videos…”

“Could have been doctored, as far as they’re concerned,” Nikolai answered.

“And the witnesses?”

“Similar. They could be liars or were coached.”

Omaha nodded. “I see.”

“Continuing on,” Nikolai said. “Others believe that we exaggerate the threat of the Grey Globe. This is where it gets interesting. There are those who thought that it would only be a matter of time before the Holy League defeats the Grey Globe. Therefore, they do all they can to undermine us in preparation for them launching their own bit of revolution. Of course, there are also those within the Holy League who feel the same way but instead decided to use this occasion to jockey for a more powerful position once the threat had passed. Then there are those who wanted the Grey Globe to destroy the Church. They believe that the Grey Globe would be weakened enough by the Church that they can defeat it afterwards.”

“To think that the politics surrounding the Grey Globe can be so complicated,” Omaha mused.

“Indeed,” Emperor Hannegan spoke up. “You have shown yourself why you should be Emperor, Nikolai. No one else that I know of can put himself in another person’s shoes quite like you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Omaha then spoke up once more. “You did overlook one group, though.”

“Oh?”

“Those who hate the Church so much that they would rather see her be destroyed by the Grey Globe than have her survive, even if it means the destruction of all life on Earth,” Omaha explained.

“Nonsense,” Nikolai said, shaking his head. “I don’t believe such a person exists.”

Omaha grinned in response. “Now who’s the naïve one, milord?”

Having everything settled, Nikolai decided to use this time to relax for the battle ahead. Getting all of the Imperial soldiers in one place was no easy task. His father-in-law had related to him on how they had to make use of the Great Chute, a large transportation network that extended from the hive city of Nuyork to Malta so that the soldiers could move in sufficient numbers to reach Bucar Tepes in time.

The Tsar knew that victory over the dark felinids was at hand. Having spent much of his time uniting the Cossacks of Slavia before joining forces with Aeneas in Tokio, Nikolai had sent much of his forces to surround the Azov Autonomous Zone ahead of time.

But besieging a country was one thing, it was another to conquer it.

And Azov needed to be conquered. Left to its own devices, it would keep stirring up problems within the Holy League. Rebellions, wars between the states, and unpleasant subversives were funded by the Azov. Not even the Tsar’s siege could stop the movements of these things.

At the top of Bucar Tepes’ great wall, Tsarina Omaha looked down upon the outskirts. The surroundings of Bucar Tepes were dry and barren. A far cry from much of southern Slavia. But it also meant lack of satellite cities. This allowed for the Imperial soldiers to make their camp here before they fly to the Azov.

The seas of men were clear for the Tsarina to see as they walked around in their camps. She could see divisions of men marching in practice. Some of the men in uniforms were green-skinned, orcs. Most likely, they were of the regiment of Mon Treal which bordered the lands of the Hudsonian greenskins. Another regiment had dwarves in their ranks, men whose short stature made Giulia and Galatea look statuesque in comparison. Omaha knew that they were from Mon Tana’s regiment, the protectorate whose lands bordered the dwarvish kingdom of Yukon.

And Omaha knew that she was not here just to stand around. She had her own regiment to command.

And speak of the devil, she spotted Captain Paxton approaching her.

“Ma’am,” the soldier greeted.

“What is it, Paxton?”

“The Emperor and the Tsar wished to see you.”

The Tsarina nodded. “Thank you, Paxton. Though I wish my husband would simply use the brick.”

“He’s an old fashioned one, ma’am,” Paxton quipped.

Omaha chuckled at the soldier’s joke. “You have served me well as the Captain of the Expeditionary Force. I can’t help but feel like we’re undervaluing you. Especially being used for such a menial task like this.”

“Nonsense, ma’am,” the soldier said happily. “I am content to serve the Imperium and my family.”

Omaha smiled. “Your family? I recall you have a wife and six children.”

“I do, ma’am. Here’s their picture.”

Paxton then took out a photo. It showed a woman with long-flowing dark hair, she looked to be in her thirties. With her were six children, two of them had hair as dark as their mother’s but the rest had lighter hair.

The Tsarina recognized this family. In fact, she’d seen them in the Lepanto before. No doubt Captain Paxton had left them behind when he went with Nikolai and Omaha.

“They’re beautiful,” Omaha said.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Paxton said respectfully. “This is a reminder of why I fight.”

With that, Omaha made her way towards the Tsarina’s Palace once more. As expected, the three of them talked of battle strategies. But then, the Emperor had dropped off an unexpected announcement.

“You’re going to fight?” Omaha asked incredulously.

Emperor Hannegan nodded. “Do not worry, my daughter. I was once a mechanicon pilot just like Nikolai.”

“Indeed,” Nikolai said with a grin. “We were once a fearsome duo.”

“That was back when you were just the second son of the Tsar, instead of the unexpected heir,” the Emperor said with an air of nostalgia.

“I remember you always got in trouble for flirting with the ladies, old friend.”

“Bah!” Hannegan shook his head. “Most of them were more interested in you, but you ignored them.”

“I was more focused on the job at hand,” the Tsar explained.

“And look where that got you…”

“I got the best wife a Tsar could ask for,” Nikolai responded as he turned his glance towards Omaha.

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Omaha said playfully. The Tsarina then turned her attention towards her father. “But that was the past. You’re old now, papa!”

“I am the same age as your husband,” the Emperor pointed out.

“That’s not the same! Milord Nikolai is…”

“A more capable fighter?” Emperor Hannegan asked.

Omaha took a deep breath. That was not exactly what she was going for, but that was true as well. The Tsarina had little idea of her father’s combat prowess in the past, but Nikolai certainly had more recent experience. Her objection was more on her father’s position as the Emperor of Texarkana.

“We can’t afford to lose you, papa!”

“Neither can we lose the Tsar of Slavia and the most likely future Emperor once your brother passes away,” Hannegan countered.

Omaha sighed in frustration; she hated it when her father was being stubborn. But she had nothing to say in response, so she remained silent.

Emperor Hannegan shook his head. “This is not up for debate, my daughter. I will fight alongside my soldiers. That decision is final!”

That night, Omaha couldn’t sleep. Her father’s decision to fight alongside them had weighed heavily on her. Nikolai had attempted to get her to talk of her issues with the whole endeavor, but the Tsarina found herself unable to articulate it.

Omaha soon found herself at the dining room of the Tsarina’s Palace, only to find her father already sitting down next to the dining table.

It was a surprise for both, to say the least. But Omaha soon took her seat next to her father’s. And the Tsarina realized that this was her opportunity.

“Your decision to fight in the Azov, what brought this on?”

“I suppose I should expect this question,” Hannegan said. “Very well, I will explain myself. I have been thinking after your brother’s death.”

“You mean Duke Robert?”

Hannegan grimaced, the memory of it all was still painful. “Yes, him. I realized that I have been selfish. I cared only for my own happiness. And it caused great distress for everyone. I’ve even caused your mother’s death, the disease she died of only reached her because of my unfaithfulness…”

Omaha was flabbergasted. For so long she had dreamed of her father bowing down before her and apologizing for everything he had done wrong. But now that it was happening, she had no idea what to do with it.

“When you struck back,” Emperor Hannegan continued, “when you and that Inquisitor of yours foiled my coup. I wanted nothing more than to punish you both. But in my reflection, I realized that you only did what I’ve done to you so many times. That’s why I chose to fight alongside you. I want to atone for what I’ve done. I want to do something that you can be proud of.”

Grateful of what she had heard, the Tsarina took her father in a hug. “Thank you, father. But you don’t have to fight for my forgiveness. I have forgiven you, long ago.”

“Oh?”

The Tsarina nodded. “Yes, it was in Tokio when Sir Aeneas confronted the Zaibatsu’s CEO. I was ready to take my revenge on those who had hurt little Hannegan. But Sir Aeneas, he forgave those who had killed his parents. I realized then that I could not keep my own grudges.”

“I see,” Hannegan said with a smile. “You have grown wise, my daughter. All the more reason why I want to fight alongside you and Nikolai.”

Omaha shook her head. “I suppose there’s no talking you out of this. Please just be careful, papa.”

With father and daughter reconciled, they both steeled themselves for the battle ahead. The battle that would determine the future of the Imperium.

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