Author Notes:
Shoutouts to Corporal PMills0109, Private Alexy Luchinskly, and Private Stephen for supporting the Imperium of Man and the Belkan Reich! Glory to you all!
Now, due to the time constrain I had, the newest RM chapter on Patr_eon is 200 words shorter than the usual average. That's my bad, and I owe it.
Still, plans still need to be carried out. As announced, I will start cooking the new Original Fiction. I will thus become a hermit that will roam the tipsy land of Pa_treon for a week or so to build up a suitable quantity of chapters... Or I can become mad and say: Fuck it, we ball. in a heartbeat... I'll leave that to your guesses, my dearest readers and patrons.
And thank you, all of you, for your kind words and supports thus far. Do trust in me and be patient with my totally sane mind, alright?
P.S: RoyalRoadL version of RM is nuked, and I will be leaving it nuked. From here on out, there will only be three sites where you can read RM. My sincere apologies for the inconvenience, everyone.
P.S.S: The Monthly Discount is still up till the 22nd! Just remove the underscore that is randomly placed and you should be fine!
https://www.patr_eon.com/Heartbreak117
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Standing inside FOB Rochford's TOC, I cross my arms beneath my bosom as I survey the developing three-dimensional battle map. Perhaps it's to be expected that the top-down view of the Greater London area falls completely under our surveillance network. The advent of drones and AWACS, when combined with groundside intelligent gathering activities, means that little can escape our notice on the surface and in the air. This has allowed my Iron Blood, the Marines, and ONI operatives the leeway we need to initiate an overseas Blitz with impunity. Any and all obstacles on the way, living or not, are immediately categorized and are either eliminated or planned around to ensure the completion of our ultimate objective.
Bringing Erusea onto its heel has never been easier nowadays.
Of course, while it's my Belkan Reich that will deal the finishing blow, it will be a disservice not to mention the very group that ignited the powder keg in the first place. The snakes scurrying in the dark, one that predates even the birth of ONI itself, Hydra. Hydra is a name given by ONI for the group that initiated the London Civil War and the subsequent assassination attempt on the King of Erusea. It's a name recently uncovered by our recent raids of Hydra's hideouts, thus officially bringing the group's existence and its operational capability into the light via recovered evidence and captured operatives. Their Commander, a certain former Prime Minister, sure keeps things interesting by further plunging Erusean-affiliated territories and colonies into enough chaos that would make for an anarchist's wet dream.
A part of me is honestly annoyed that Hydra dared to flip the tables on the Kingdom of Erusea so thoroughly. It has muddied the waters so much that it won't be a surprise if all of these territories either declare their independence or undergo a regime change, thus technically granting them absolution of any wrongdoing committed against the Belkan Reich over the long years, although this claim can be contested by us. Yet, it's more trouble all the same.
Imagine how we Belkans feel when the Erusean colonies, prizes that should have been ours to claim upon the fall of the Kingdom of Ersuea, end up not being ours to take because some personal vendetta upends even the wildest of expectations. Sure, we can play some gunboat diplomacy to enforce the desired results, but that will just invite people to smear the hard-earned, heroic resume we've built over the last few years. Geopolitics is a Yggdra damn mess to juggle with, even after all this time.
No, Belka must be patient and spotless. We will take what we can reasonably get, but no more than that in the short term, lest greed be the crack in our wall. We should have enough wiggle room to boldly seize the colonies in Africa, at the very least, since ONI and Shadow Company have long permeated our influence there. What's left of the ownerless pie shall be given to the Commander of Hydra to toy with, for now.
Thinking of that man in particular, one may wonder why I permit his continuing existence at large when he had already ruined my crisp white sheet with his bootprints all over it. The short answer to that question is pragmatism. Now that the local and global situation has evolved to this point, more and more nations and factions will start fishing in muddied water. To prevent other countries from easily acquiring the overseas dominions of Erusea, allowing the Commander free rein to maneuver and to cause chaos in them is perhaps the best option, and it's one that has no connection to Belka whatsoever. If anything, this will buy us enough time to digest our gains in Europe first.
Once we have secured our backyards and ONI has gotten the details straight for the rest of the world, it won't be too late then to send in the Ghost Division and Marines to pacify these leftover and tentatively ownerless lands. With what right, you may ask? Well, aren't we to be the ultimate victor in this Belkan versus Allied forces showdown? I'm pretty sure Belka is perfectly entitled to the winning share; it's just a matter of when and how we will claim it.
Cooperate, then you're good; if not, then don't mind us replacing you for good.
Speaking of my soldierly boys and girls...
"Overseer, this is Tombstone Actual." From the battle net, I can hear Major Muller's voice. Yet, because he is speaking to an Overseer...
"Go for Overseer." It's not me who is answering, it's me.
"The factory area is secured and pacified. By the look of it, it's just a local, medium-sized gang trying to perform a flex that gone awry. Seems to me that they consist of the nefarious lots as well, stuff that won't ever make the cut for military service. They even laid hands on their own people, ma'am. I will relinquish the prisoners to ONI for processing and the rescued refugees to medicals shortly. Over."
"Affirm, Tombstone Actual. You're making the world safer in ways you never expected." The Overseer half-joked, half-praised. "Still, to really attack you guys in broad daylight... Probably not the Peaky Blinders, as we have a cooperative agreement with them and they aren't stupid enough to incur our wrath. Just to be safe, however, make sure the transfer process goes smoothly, hearts and minds and all of that, Tombstone."
"You can consider us your part-time Civil Affairs, ma'am." Major Muller laughs lightly. "We'll make sure things here run smooth as a hot knife through butter. Better yet, I think this site would make for a nice checkpoint, ma'am. Quite defensible from what I can see around here, and we can set up patrols around the clock to ensure safe transit from Northolt to inner London and vice versa."
"Once again, you're taking up the duty that should have been B-Coy's job. No misgiving from you and your crew, Muller?"
"We're A-OK here, Marshal. You can count on us to do the grunt work seriously." Very faintly, one can hear the enthusiastic affirmations of other Panzergrenadiers around Muller.
"Alright, I will hook you up to the Pioneers for proper fortification works. Afterwards, it's your show until further notice, Tombstone." The Overseer consents to the Major's request.
"Understood, ma'am, one heck of a big checkpoint, Company-sized, coming up!" Major Muller cracks a joke as, indeed, having a roadside checkpoint staffed by a Company-sized element is one heck of an overkill.
In actuality, though, Muller will be spreading out some of his forces around the ruined factory area and along Western Avenue to maintain a security corridor.
"By the way, ma'am, our apologies for shooting up the industrial zone. Could have saved us a fair bit of Reichsmarks had they remained standing." Muller adds with regret, knowing that both Overseer and I have seen how the Pumas let it rip on the gangsters.
"Unironically, Muller, keeping those factories would have cost us more money in the long run. Erusean civilian industries are too obsolete for our taste. You're doing us a favor, my friend. Keep up the good work. Overseer, out."
Once the radio crackles of the conversation die down, I note with obvious amusement how Major Maple and the staff in the TOC are trying their very best to keep their curiosity and confusion in check.
After all, I never once did open my mouth during that whole conversation with Major Muller.
"What?" I look at Major Maple, who has decided that the holotable is indeed the best way to distract herself from a burning need to know. "You never saw me in two places at once before?" I tease the dark elf officer.
The Major coughs into her fist, answering with uncertainty as if she doesn't quite know what to say just yet. "The rumors... Doesn't really do you justice, ma'am."
"Weird, right?" I giggle. "Don't worry, I get that a lot. Stay with me for a bit, and you'll get all the nuances about me and other me-s right and dandy, Major. Best way to know which of us is Overlord and which of us is Overseer..."
My fingers move to lift my unique Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Jewels. To be more specific, I am showing her the Burmese Ruby that is inlaid in the middle of the Cross.
"If you see this piece, then you're looking at Overlord. Without the ruby being visible anywhere, you're most certainly facing Overseer." I helpfully explain with a small smile. "Only rarely would there be two Overseers in one AO. More often than not, it's just one of us in a single important battle zone. Only in special cases will you see both Overlord and Overseer in one spot."
"... Now I have truly seen everything." Major Maple mutters beneath her breath. "No offense, ma'am, but I will rather not hear what I have no business hearing."
"It's an open secret. As long as you keep it in the armed forces, ONI won't mind." I shrug. "Back to the task at hand, shall we?"
My pardon comes much to the relief of Major Maple and her curious staff. Back to the rhythm of war, it takes little to no time at all when a notification ping hits me.
It's Bryn, and she has a report to make.
"Overlord. We have a new development."
I give a nod to Major Maple, who starts operating the holotable immediately. A couple of seconds later, a video feed is highlighted among many and enlarged, with even an arrow linking it with the spatial coordinates of the unit flying in the sky of London.
"What am I looking at, Bryn?" I ask, leaning in with my hands on the holotable.
The video feed, streaming from Bryn's helmet cam, is focused on a motley gathering in the war-torn streets of London. Next to a destroyed Matilda and ruined households, groups of Eruseans converged into one location. Some are armed, some are not, all wearing white bands or are taping white flags onto the end of their rifles and sticks.
"Recon indicated a group of Erusean nobles and wealthy merchants who are on ONI's watch list have assembled for an open-air discussion. If not for them waving the white flags all the while, my Night Witches would have sung them goodnight long ago. A few Witches have flown down to cast an audio enhancement spell. According to their reports, these nobles and merchants are gathering their forces and families to surrender to Colonel Hopson's Marines. The only issue is that they may stall the Marines' advance and prevent a timely encirclement of Buckingham Palace in conjunction with the rest of our combatants. I am sending over the previously recorded footage and audio to you now, should you require a review of the Eruseans' gathering, Marshal."
"Understood, tell your girls that they did a good job catching that. Bryn, I need you to leave a detachment to cover the Marines that are enroute. Call it a precaution, as these opportunists may outwardly speak one thing but will do the exact opposite of what they say. The Marines will receive their so-called offer of surrender first, but the subsequent handling will be placed in the hands of the Marine MP and CA. Your girls may need to hang back for that as well."
"I will pick the most astute for the task, Marshal." The video feed shakes mildly as my Valkyrie nods.
"I know you will, Bryn. Happy hunting out there. Out." The comms go silent once more after Bryn gives her acknowledgement.
Turning to Major Maple, I task.
"Get the Military Police and Civil Affairs ready to secure this... Gathering. Treat them according to the usual procedure, no favoritism on pulling ranks and status from any of the Eruseans. And make sure that they know what rights they are entitled to, nothing more, nothing less."
"At once, Marshal. But if they are less than cooperative...?"
"Prioritize expediency. The Marines must never be stopped by these unreliable traitors. The MP is allowed to call in more firepower if needed." I reply with a wave of my hand before adding a comment. "Since they betrayed their King at a drop of a hat like this, then they are not worth it to be kept around intact, should it come to that."
The war is progressing rapidly. London will be ours soon enough. But before that eventuality, tackling miscellaneous tasks and occurrences is unavoidable. Most importantly, logistics must be kept in impeccable order.
Truly, not all battles are fought on the front.