The War Room (Shadow/Schatten)

This is a work of fiction. It is not a reflection of the views of the author and should not be treated as a source of historical information

As she approached the meeting room, Harriet could hear quiet voices.

“This is it?”

“This is every officer that holds a rank above ‘General’, and hopefully, this is all we’ll need. If we need any more, Bauer will start sending out summons.”

Presently, a collection of Kleiner Baum’s highest-ranking officials had met in The Hole, a small room on the bottom floor of the Military Department Building.

The voices were getting louder.

"Listen..."

"What is it?”.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Footsteps."

In the Hole, the clicking of small shoes could be heard echoing through the hallway. Before the footsteps had stopped, the solid steel door creaked open. Harriet stopped in her tracks and doubled over, wheezing.

"Entschuldigen Sie, Herr.” she bowed. “I'm not late... am I?"

"I had Herr Bauer call you to come as soon as possible for a reason."

"The train was running off-schedule, Herr."

“Inefficient…” Chancellor Morrigan yawned. Doctor Black nodded.

"I could have picked you up," interrupted Commander Hussain.
Harriet shook her head. "Thanks, but my apartment's too far out of your way."

"It is really not a problem. If the state does not cover fuel costs, Mother and Father will always send me some money."

"I wouldn't want to put that much pressure on your parents, Ami."

"It is more than alright. They absolutely adore you. I will let them know that they should start--"

Doctor Black cleared his throat. The room fell silent.

"Take a seat," he ordered. "We have business to discuss."

Harriet tried to avoid looking at the Doctor. She studied the room in an effort to distract herself; Thin rays of sunlight poured through the steel bars that crossed the windows. A map had been unfurled on the central table of the room, covered with papers, photographs, thumbtacks, and strings. Thin black books sat unopened in front of every chair.

A single flag hung prominently on the wall; An black cross sat on a maroon background. To the left of the cross was a black eagle, and to the right were three red flowers arranged in a triangle. The entire flag was bordered with a golden stripe. Near the bottom, 'Keine Gnade!' was written in bold letters.

Doctor Black slammed his hand down on the table, causing a few of the officers--Harriet included--to flinch.

"The situation in Husaria has reached a point where diplomacy is no longer an answer,” the Doctor said firmly. He moved his finger to the easternmost point of the map. “Krasniy Drakon has mobilized their forces and already expressed their intentions towards Husaria. We have no allies there, except for a few factions, so it is best for us to secure our interests before the enemy has a chance to do so for themselves. A preemptive strike would also, at least temporarily, prevent the war from coming to our soils."

"Is this a good idea?" asked Commander Hussain. "There is no telling what could happen if we act out of impulse."

Freifrau Aminah von Hussain, a recent graduate of one of Kleiner Baum's many service academies and the youngest of one of the country’s many noble houses, had quickly risen through the ranks to command a unit as old as the nation itself. She kept a strictly professional expression alongside her green uniform and matching hijab.

"Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning," Black mused.

"We'll gain plenty of important territory. We could certainly use the farmland, and the extra manpower as well."

Doctor Nathan Black surveyed his audience from behind a pair of sunglasses. The renowned and wheelchair-bound tactician had been disabled by a mortar shell during his freshman year, but that didn't detract from his brilliant mind. He had personally overseen multiple operations in Kleiner Baum, and published several essays on mobile warfare and combined arms tactics throughout high school. He brought his finger down on the map, tracing it along a river.

“An advance up to here would also provide a buffer zone against Krasniy Drakon. We can trust that the swamps will be--”

"That was Rommel, correct?" asked Morrigan.

“Pardon, Herr Kanzler?”

“That quote. That’s from Rommel, oder?”

Dr Black nodded as Samuel Morrigan opened his eyes. The chancellor of Kleiner Baum had awoken from a long nap beneath his sweater. Dark rings collected beneath his squinting gray eyes. Days of not shaving had left their mark on his smoothly shaped face. One of the easiest ways to deal with the stress of managing a nation--as he had found--was to simply sleep and let his subordinates make most of the decisions.

"Quite a few factions have sworn allegiance to Kleiner Baum," added Ambassador Gans. "You can turn them into allies, but how do you plan to execute this operation so that you don't have to wait for their cooperation?"

As everyone had noticed, Gans removed his glasses to clean them with the sleeve of his coat to indicate that he had finished speaking. For the past three days, Stefans Gans had stayed in Chancellor Morrigan’s house. The public had yet to know that he was in the country, let alone meeting with the military high command.

"An attack on communications is necessary," Doctor Black pointed at the map. "We are fairly certain that Krasniy Drakon already has the munitions needed to launch an attack, otherwise they wouldn't be apparently gearing up on their borders. So we'll have to blind and starve them by attacking their main supply routes, radio towers, wires, and fuel pipelines."

In between the air raids and the mounting tensions in Husaria, nearly every politician in Runberg was on edge. The officers, on the other hand, carried on as they always had; Always thinking and planning.

"So you want us to breach enemy lines, cut them off, and get them confused before punching through their front?" Gambit interrupted. "You'll need air support, won't you? We've got a couple hundred birds that are ready to go."

Joseph Gambit put his feet on the table and reclined in his chair. He had been named supreme commander of the Kleiner Baum Luftwaffe following the 'dismissal' of the previous holder of the title. Some said that Gambit's rise to power was a mere coincidence, while others claimed that it was the product of one of Kleiner Baum's many purges. The man himself was in no hurry to confirm or deny either possibility.

"Planes, eh?" Dr Black whistled. "We'll definitely need a lot if we were to go up against the Husarian heartland. However, it would be difficult for them to have any effect on ground targets without air superiority first.

“Don’t worry about the numbers.” Brigadier General Josef Regenbogen shook his head. “Stahlwerk can fill our orders simply because they don’t want their contract to expire."

"So, what's the plan?" asked Morrigan.

Doctor Black stared at his sleepy superior.

"You shouldn't be asking that," Dr Black reminded Morrigan. "You're the one who's supposed to be giving orders."

"I like to entertain other possibilities," Morrigan yawned. "You have the floor, Doctor."

"I propose that we execute Plan XVI. Contact every officer in our reserves."
Murmuring rose from the group, followed by a symphony of pages turning. Secretary Bauer, unnoticed until this point, excused himself.

"Can't I lead?" asked Harriet.

Hussain, Gambit, and Morrigan were stunned, although Morrigan refused to change his expression. Doctor Black wheeled around the room to face the young woman.

Harriet Doolittle hadn’t grown an inch since she had turned thirteen. Coarse brown hair was kept in a tight braid that ran down her back. Through his sunglasses, the Doctor peered into Doolittle’s brown eyes--Rather, one of them. The right was exposed, while the left hid behind a black eyepatch.

"A rookie?" Black chuckled. "I'd much rather have one of the more experienced commanders. See if we can get von Rot or McKenzie. Hell, I’d even take Kalmár--”

“Von Rot and Kalmár are serving with the Tannenbaum Volunteer Legion,” said Morrigan. “McKenzie is still on bedrest after his little ‘mishap’.”

"I think that Commander Doolittle is a reasonable choice,” said General Adelaide Kennedy. “After all, she was trained by O’Nell."

O’Nell. Simply mentioning his name was enough to change the direction of the conversation. The rest of the room watched as Doctor Black nearly lost his composure. With a deep breath, he straightened his tie. Commander Doolittle tried her best to keep from shaking during the brief moment of silence.

"Very well, Commander Doolittle," said Doctor Black. "It's too early for me to be arguing with you. I'll notify O'Nell that you'll be in charge on the northern half of the front."

"What about the others?" asked Morrigan, "and the Luftwaffe?"

"Commander von Hussain will take the southern half of the front under Johnston. Gambit should primarily act in order to benefit the north, as we want the southern objectives captured, rather than destroyed."

As Dr Black finished his sentence, he shot a glare at Gambit.

“Gallagher and Regenbogen,” he continued, “are responsible for support and logistical roles. Kennedy and Siegel are ordered to maintain our reserve forces and reinforcements.”

“I’m putting a lot of faith in your army,” said Gans. “Do not make me regret my decision to provide my assistance.”

“We won’t let you down, Ambassador.” Doctor Black smiled warmly.

“Let’s hope not, for both of our sakes.” Gans did not return the expression.

"I really get to lead the assault?" asked Doolittle.

"Yes," Doctor Black repeated himself. "You'll cooperate with... Commander O'Nell and your lieutenant. You'll follow Plan XVI as closely as possible. My tactics are flawless, so I expect you to adapt to them."

Doolittle silently pulled her own booklet from her bag. Flipping through the pages, she found Plan XVI's details.

Doctor Black pulled a handful of coins from his pocket and dumped them onto the map.

Two main formations would take part during the operation. The first formation--Form A--would advance as quickly as possible, led by dive-bombers, fighters, and armor. Meanwhile, Form B would engage the enemy with spread-out, yet specialized, raids.

The coins were moved to represent both formations, as well as the enemy, air forces, and any other parties that might find themselves involved in the operation.

Form A would neutralize major strongholds and strategic areas before turning to join Form B, encircling any enemy that happens to fall in the way. Form A would continue their campaign against major targets, while Form B would spread out their attacks over a large area.

"Are you sure that you are able to do this?" Hussain asked as she read over Doolittle's shoulder.

The telephone rang and Doctor Black wheeled over to answer it.

"I think I just made a serious mistake," Doolittle muttered.

“You know, you do not have to go through with this. You do not have to prove anything to anyone.”

“I know that, Ami.” Doolittle held her head up. “I know.”

"Be advised that we have tried to conduct Plan XVI at least once," Morrigan interrupted. “Against Tannenbaum. So don't be surprised if it doesn't work."

"We have?" asked Doolittle.

Morrigan stretched out across the table, gesturing towards the borders of Kleiner Baum on the map.

"We used to have an enclave there. When we decided to annex the corridor between our territories, we ended up pissing off a lot of people. We hesitated, and those mountain folk overran us throughout the front."

"Tannenbaum used captured weapons and imported munitions,” said Kennedy. “They didn't have a standard uniform or strategy either. Against us, they used guerrilla warfare tactics in unfamiliar and hostile terrain."

"Is this important?" whispered Regenbogen.

"Everything said in this room is important. You just fail to see the bigger picture."

"It actually may be important," Morrigan continued. “Our doctor believes that his strategy is infallible, but there's a clear flaw. Plan XVI would be most effective against a strong force that has units specialized towards countering us. We're relying on predictability, which is something Tannenbaum did not provide us."

"Could we perhaps modify the plan, then?" asked Hussain.

"Good question, Commander von Hussain. We know that Husaria most likely also lacks their own standard equipment. Their terrain is remarkably similar to Tannenbaum’s lowlands, at least in the regions we wish to operate in. What do you think would be the best counter?"

"We should use lighter cavalry, armored cars, and assault guns to directly combat the enemy in the forests. Constant movement should keep their raids from having any lasting impact."

"What about aircraft?" asked Gambit, "Just carpet-bombing the entire battlefield would be a waste of effort and money. I suggest using dive-bombers and close-support aircraft. Our hardest point should be Stahlwerk’s B-80 series."

Gans choked on air.

“Very good, you two--Weather allowing for it. Your plans, Commander Doolittle?"

The room waited for her to say something. Doolittle shrank down into her seat.

"Yes--I’ve got to go, honey.” Doctor Black hung up the phone and turned his attention back to the room. “We shall contact Commander O’Nell for his plans.”

“What happened to putting the girl in charge?” whispered Morrigan.

“Cat’s got her tongue, can’t you see?”

“Are you sure about O’Nell?” asked Colonel Anton Siegel. “I mean, I know we have a few loose cannons in our ranks, but that guy is an absolute maniac.”

“I heard that he collects teeth.” Hussain playfully elbowed Doolittle’s side.

“I trust him,” Doolittle replied.

“I don’t,” admitted Siegel. “We can’t put part of our operation on the shoulders of 'Old Scratch' himself.”

“What?”

“Don’t joke about that.”

“Don’t you remember ‘Oake’s Railhead’?”

“What happened then?” asked Hussain, cautiously.

“Well, legally speaking, nothing happened,” explained Siegel. “Personally? What happened at Oake’s Railhead made the Third Battle of Aronhem look like a peacekeeping mission.”

“That could have happened to anyone.” Doolittle raised her voice.

“I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault, really,” Kennedy chimed in. “The loss of Aronhem represented a failure of--”

“Aronhem may have been a failure, but Oake’s Railhead wasn’t.” Siegel stood up, eager to return to his previous point. “It was a massacre.”

“It was a turkey shoot,” muttered Gambit.

“What about the West Brigade?” asked Kennedy. “They’re brutal.”

“I believe that we are straying away from this meeting’s objective,” whispered Hussain.

Doctor Black slammed his fist on the table. The arguing stopped. Now, all eyes were on him and Morrigan.

"We're not the good guys." The Chancellor’s tone was soft and comforting. "There is no 'good' in a war. O’Nell will be a part of this operation. I expect the rest of you to fulfill your duties as soldiers of Kleiner Baum, and I expect you all to at least show each other respect when you are face-to-face. Any questions?"

The room was silent.

"Dismissed."

Officers stood, said their farewells, and pushed in their chairs. As the commanders left the room, Doctor Black turned to his superior.

"Are you sure that we should be doing this?"

"Yes, Sir, I believe that we should be doing this. Aerial surveillance has led us to believe that Krasniy Drakon is intended to launch an invasion of Husaria. Thus, we should take preemptive measures while securing our interests in the fertile land of Western Husaria, and the oilfields in the south."

“I can assure you, if I am allowed to return to Husaria, then I will make sure that we can reach a very comfortable economic arrangement.” Gans bowed his head.

"Very well," said Doctor Black. "If it's a war for money, then I believe that we should keep it under wraps."

"Is that so?" Morrigan yawned.

"Issue a formal declaration of war against the Husaria Unified factions exactly three days from now. Casus belli: Pre-emptive strike against Krasniy Drakon and to place Ambassador Gans in a position of power."

"Yes, Sir."

The doctor moved over to the telephone and quickly dialed a number.

"Requesting the Östlich ISR Department... Please prepare copies of the aerial photographs... The border of Husaria and Krasniy Drakon... First week of June."

The door slammed open. Black and Morrigan turned to look at the sweating and panting figure that had entered the room.

"I... Hope... I'm not late... For the meeting."

"Of course you're late," muttered Doctor Black, "Would it kill you to make an effort to be on time?"

"Sorry, Sir. The bridge was out. No trains were running either."

"It's alright," said Morrigan. "We've put you in charge of the southern part of the front. Freifrau von Hussain will be serving under you. She should be able to explain the situation."

Commander Ethan Johnston tilted his head curiously. Despite having served longer than Doolittle, Hussain, and Gambit, he still had a reputation as a remarkably incompetent young man. He claimed that it was simply bad luck, but others believed that he lacked any form of foresight or hindsight.

"There aren't any trains running now,” explained Doctor Black, “so you'll have to stick around Runberg until lunch."

"Oh--Commander?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Don't forget again."

"Forget what?" asked Johnston.

"Don’t forget to tell your unit that you're moving out." Morrigan yawned, ready to get Johnston out of the office so that he could return to his nap.

"It was only one time." Johnston looked down at his feet.

The door slammed. A moment later, there was a knock on the door.

"The documents you requested, Sir."

“God, I hope you know what you’re doing,” said Morrigan, “or else, I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

A steel-gray car had parked in front of the War Department building, next to luxury cars and old-fashioned stagecoaches.

Doolittle opened the door and climbed into the backseat. Augustus turned around and gave her a warm smile, an expression which was quickly returned.

“So, how did it go?”