You cannot achieve peace diplomatically all the time. Sometimes, you gotta get your hands dirty, do regretful things. When possible, be an angel. If you have no choice, be a demon. You must be willing to be both.

-Emperor Maximilian Luke Vorenus VII

Emperor Maximilian Luke Vorenus VII

Vorenus Family Plot, Agatha, Province of Etrusca, United Terran Empire

Emperor of the United Terran Empire

The Emperor, arguably the most powerful person in the world, slowly walked through the cemetery of the Vorenus family alone. He ordered the Imperial Guards to guard the perimeter and to not allow anyone to disturb him.

He passed many tombstones, but not a single mausoleum or tomb.

The Vorenus family had a tradition, for their bodies to be returned to the Earth. No mummification, no tombs, no metals in their caskets which is why the Vorenus family have been using only simple wooden caskets. Same would go for any pets.

Cremation with their ashes stored in urns was completely unacceptable to the family. The body must be returned to the Earth.

He passed his grandfather from his father's side without a glance. Max only needed to see it once to remember the man he hated. Nothing special, only a simple tombstone with his name, his birth date, and the date of his death. The title of "Emperor" was etched on to it, that much they gave him.

Today, he was here for something special. He hated this day with a passion, wishing it never existed.

The day that nearly broke him.

He finally came upon four tombstones side by side. Max forced a smile when he saw them.

The Emperor carefully laid a bouquet of flowers in front of each of them.

Max took a deep breath before sitting cross legged in front of them.

"Hello Mom, Dad, Jenny, Mocha, it's that day again."

There was silence as he stared at the tombstones.

"I know you guys would be mad at me for not letting you guys go. Anyways, things are getting better. The Insurrectionists are making a last stand, and we're preparing for war with the Equestrians. Thousands of years in the making, we will finally teach those Equestrians a lesson.

Do not worry Jennifer, I still do intend to carry out your promise. War of course is only resorted as a last resort."

Again, silence as he stared at the tombstones.

"Every day, I remember your faces, the good and bad memories. They still haunt me. Everything, they're still fresh in my mind."

Peace can be achieved diplomatically all the time. You just need to play your cards right. There is always a peaceful resolution without shedding any blood.

-Princess Jennifer Esther Vorenus

38 Years Ago

Prince Maximilian Vorenus VII

Imperial Palace, Agatha, Province of Etrusca, United Terran Empire

The Palace as usual, was busy. Imperial Guards, Military Officers, Politicians, and servants walked the halls. Many came from important meetings with the Emperor and his staff.

Not too many of them liked the Emperor who had a very high temper and listens to the nobility too much. Confidence in the Vorenus family was in an all-time low because of the Emperor's poor handling with the war.

Many feared coming to the Palace simply because they wish to not be within the presence of the Emperor. However, there is always one thing that put a smile on their faces.

People in a hall stepped aside as a puppy ran through the hall. It was a white Corgi-Spaniel mix with brown ears, a pink nose, and brown circles around its eyes.

Running after the puppy were two children, a little boy and a little girl.

9-year old Princess Jennifer Esther Vorenus was a brunette with a pink shirt with a picture of a rainbow, a purple skirt, and pink sneakers.

8-year old Prince Maximilian Luke Vorenus VII wore a blue shirt with a grey hoodie, khaki shorts, and black sneakers.

The two children had the widest smiles on their faces as they chased after their dog.

The adults they passed by couldn't help but smile at the sight of two innocent children enjoying life in a time of war.

"Hey wait up!" Max said as he struggled to catch up with his sister. Of the two, Max was the weakest. He couldn't fight to save his life, he was emotionally weak, and was very shy. Only with his sister was he the complete opposite.

They were almost never seen separated. The two always go anywhere together. They even refused to sleep in separate rooms.

However, to the annoyance of the palace's staff, they were also mischievous. Even when the cooking staff were keeping watch, the two would still somehow sneak into the kitchen to steal sweets. Whenever Max learns that he needed a shot from Doctor Brulov, the boy would go through ridiculous lengths to avoid it.

Sometimes, he would climb the tall bookcases of the Palace library and lay on the top where people wouldn't be able to spot him. Other times, he would hide under random furniture in the Palace and even one time, he hid INSIDE Doctor Brulov's office, knowing it was the last place they expected to find him.

The only reason he was caught was because he got hungry and could smell food from the office. Just like his mother, he loved food and wanted to learn how to cook like her when he was old enough.

Max lost sight of Jenny as she rounded a corner and ran to catch up to her.

"You little shit!"

He felt his heart stop for a second before he rounded the corner. Max saw his sister sitting on the ground, with an angry Emperor in front of her.

Emperor Joseph Ricardo Vorenus, they're grandfather, towered over his sister. He wore a black suit, and was escorted by two Imperial Guards.

Their puppy Mocha, stood by his sister and growled at the Emperor.

"You're gonna growl at me you little fuck? Huh? Try me!"

The Emperor took a step towards the pair as they backed away. He was stopped when a boy jumped in between them.

"Wait! Grandpa, please don't hurt them." Max pleaded.

He expected the Emperor to back off but he should've known better.

"You dare get in my way boy?"

In every other occasion, he would've cowered, but this is his sister he's defending.

He stood, glaring at his grandfather with defiance.

“So be it.”

Before he could react, the left side of Max's face exploded with pain. His body slid on the floor before stopping. He heard his sister scream followed by more yelling before he blacked out.

I am your father, your god, your savior, and your protector. This is my Empire. It must be held with an iron fist. If you rebel, then you and your family shall be crushed into a pulp.

-Emperor Joseph Ricardo Vorenus

2 Years Later

Max was still haunted by the memories of his tyrannical grandfather, but he was comforted by the fact that he's dead now.

The boy sat on his bed in his pajamas, surrounded by books about such things like mysteries, the paranormal, myths, etc. He always felt intrigued by them for some reason.

He asked Brulov if the Empire has any interests in them in which, the Belkan doctor told him that's one of the things the Imperial Scientific Branch does. However, he told him his father doesn't agree with the ISB, calling them unethical and a waste of money. He always butted heads with Dr. Boban Ritovski, the head of the ISB, and was looking for ways to defund and eventually dissolve them.

Brulov mentioned how his religious grandmother from his father's side butted heads with Dr. Stanford Pines, the previous head of the ISB, and her hatred for them carried on to her eldest son.

Max didn't like what his father was doing and told Brulov he'll do whatever he can to keep the ISB. The Doctor agreed but he warned him that the ISB has done things that would give him second thoughts and warned him to tread carefully.

Across the room, Jenny sat on her bed in her pajamas drawing pictures. She had a talent in drawing and wanted to learn to be an animator.

Her brother however, wanted to be a soldier like his ancestors, but for a few hundred years, not a single Vorenus served in the military. It used to be tradition for the heir to the throne to serve in the military first, but that was broken once the Royal Family got closer and closer to the nobility. They became too fat and happy, to the displeasure of many who learned of how the Vorenus family of old used to lead armies or fought side by side with the common soldier. Now, they've become buddies with the hated nobility.

Max wanted to change that, to restore the family to what it used to be. Of course, his parents didn't like that and because of Max's love for writing, history, and movies, they took steps to have him study cinematography instead of being a soldier. They set up arrangements for him to meet film directors, actors, and visit studios. While he did enjoy them, they couldn't change his mind but he learned to hide it.

*Knock knock*

The kids turned their attention to the door.

"Come in." Jenny said.

The door opened to reveal their mother.

Empress Christina Calatrava Vorenus had fair skin, long brown hair, and wore a black blazer with a black skirt. Normally, she wore glasses and high heels but it seemed she ditched them before seeing her children.

Christina was the 7th and youngest child in the Calatrava family. Her father, Lord Agustin Calatrava, was a former Imperial Army Major who became a newspaper tycoon. Lady Daniela Rossitto Calatrava, her mother, claims to be a devout Seventh-Day Adventist and was a missionary.

Being the youngest of the children, her siblings would bully her often with her own mother turning a blind eye. Once they were old enough, her mother was dead set on having her children marry into other noble families and perhaps to the Royal Family. Christina however, refused to court other nobles which earned the scorn from her mother and her siblings.

However, her father was the only one who stood by her. Despite being busy working almost every day, he found time to be with his favorite child. She was after all, the only one to listen to his teachings while the others were rebellious by doing acts such as gambling, street racing, etc.

Lady Daniela believed the elder kids could do nothing wrong, but she would punish Christina for even the smallest things in which Lord Agustin disagreed.

One time, Peter Dreyfuss of the Dreyfuss family expressed his attraction to Christina and Lady Daniela wanted her daughter to marry him just like how the other children married into various noble families. Despite her mother's attempts at persuading her and threatening her to disown her, Christina refused.

Without notifying her husband who was on a business trip to Oceania, Lady Daniela kicked her own daughter out of the house with only a few belongings.

Fate smiled upon her when she ran into Prince Lucius Nathaniel Vorenus and a contingent of guards who was returning from a party. The crowned Prince recognized the youngest daughter of the Calatrava family and was deeply suspicious when he saw her walking down the sidewalk alone. He knew her father would never allow his daughter to leave alone and without a vehicle.

In an act of kindness, he brought her back to the palace where she told him everything. He allowed her to stay in the guest room of the palace until her father came back and comforted her whenever she cried.

When her father did come back and found out, he was deeply furious at his wife. Lord Agustin visited his daughter in the palace where he comforted her. Despite being a Seventh-Day Adventist, Lord Agustin intended to file for divorce. Damn religion, the most important thing for him now is to protect his daughter and make her happy.

Tragedy struck however when his limo was T-boned by a semi. He was killed instantly. Lord Agustin Calatrava was buried with full military honors. At present were Christina, crowned Prince Lucius Vorenus, and members of Imperial High Command. Suspiciously, the rest of Lord Agustin’s family didn’t show up.

Now, here she stood. The Empress before her beloved children. Remembering her father’s teachings, she forgave her family, especially her mother, for her actions. It didn’t sit right with Max however, who wasn’t as devout in their religious faith like his parents. He read how much pain has been caused because of religion and chose to keep its influence to a bare minimum in his life

“You two should be sleeping.” Christina said.

“Mommy!” Jenny said as she ran up to her mother and hugged her.

Max however, was slower to get out of his bed but still walked up to hug his mother nonetheless.

“I’m sorry I was late, we were delayed.” Christina said.

“But why does dad always make you go places?” Jenny said.

Christina sighed. “You know your father. He wants to have all of these problems resolved as soon as possible.”

“But he barely even spends time with us. Always out of the palace or too busy in his office.” Max said.

The Empress ruffled his hair. “You know your father loves you, which is why he wants everything done before you’re old enough.”

“But he can’t find time to spend with us?”

“I’ll...i’ll talk to him if he can find time.”

“I also asked a lot of people about him.” Max said as he frowned.

“What did they say?”

“They said he’s a control freak. I heard he would at times make decisions for his generals. A few days ago I heard some officers say they don’t like an architect telling generals orders.”

It was Christina’s turn to frown. She couldn’t help but agree with them. Lucius has zero military experience and even she didn’t like the idea of him making decisions for experienced military commanders. There were rumors of many military officers displeased with a Vorenus giving them orders, and there were even rumors of defection.

“Look, Max, Jenny, your father knows what he’s doing. I’ll go talk to him about these...problems. We can talk more in the morning, it’s getting late. Did you two practice piano when I was gone?”

Both children nodded.

“But Max keeps trying to play the Star Wars theme instead.” Jenny said while Max scowled at her.

Christina chuckled. “It’s fine, as long as you can get it right. Tomorrow, I’m going to teach you two how to make banana bread.”

Max smiled, his eyes full of excitement. “Are we going to put chocolate in it?”

“Of course, we’ll put chocolate in it.” Christina said. It was no secret Max loved sweets, especially chocolate. “Now go to bed.”

The two kids walked away from her to their beds.

“And don’t forget to pray before going to sleep!”

The Royal Family is treading on thin ice. They slowly distanced themselves from the commoners and closer to the rich. That is unacceptable. This Empire will not last long if the current Emperor continues his course. I had high hopes he would not make the same mistakes as his predecessors. It seems I was mistaken.

-Fleet Admiral Lord Samuel Ashdown

8 Years Later

Central Park, Agatha, United Terran Empire

On the top of the hill of Central Park in Agatha, lies a lone oak tree. If one were closer, they could see two male teenagers sitting on the lowest branch.

One teen, an Oceanian, wore a red shirt with khaki shorts, white sneakers, black socks, a black Agatha Eagles Baseball cap, and carried a pink Hello Kitty backpack.

The other was the crowned prince who wore a grey hoodie, blue jeans, black sneakers, and a custom backpack featuring pictures of Imperial Star Destroyers, various Stormtroopers, some Imperial Officers, and the Empire of the Hand logo.

Max scanned the various people around the park enjoying their life. No doubt, some of them were plain clothes Imperial Guards keeping an eye on him.

The two friends relaxed as they watched the sun starting to set. Only recently, did they graduate from high school and were now contemplating about their future.

“So where are you going Marcus?” Max asked.

“What do you mean?” Marcus said as he opened a can of coca-cola.

Marcus Anwar was the second oldest child, but the oldest son in the House Anwar. His father was a Marine Lieutenant General while his mother was the daughter of a farmer. It was rare for a noble to marry a commoner and the family was often criticized by some notable nobles.

The Anwar family quietly increased its power and influence, especially among the Oceanian nobles. It was no surprise that the Suharto, Yuhoyono, and Baswedan families hated them. Two of Marcus’ uncles were assassinated, his cousin kidnapped, gangraped, and left to die in the wilderness but was found and rescued by some hikers, and his pregnant aunt was beaten which killed her unborn baby. The Emperor was widely criticized for not lifting a finger, but many note how close he was to the Anwar family’s rivals.

“I mean, where are you going like college or job…”

“Oh that? Well my parents are pushing me to go to West Coast Tech or to Bartlett University before joining the Marines.” Marcus said. “You told your parents yet?”

Max sighed. “No, only my sister.”

Marcus turned to Max with a frown.

“Dude, you know you can’t hide it forever.”

“I-I know. I plan to tell them tonight over dinner.”

“Look, Max, just so you know, I’ll always have your back. You should be shaping your future, not them.”

“I certainly hope so. The only thing I’m worried about is if I return in a casket.”

“Heh, you’ll be fine. Different branches but we’ll always find a way to watch each other’s backs.”

Max looked at his watch.

“Shit, look I gotta go. Mom hates it when I’m late.”

“It’s cool. We’ll keep in contact ya?”

“Of course.” Max said they fistbumped before jumping off the tree.

I don’t care about my siblings nor my mother. My priorities from now on are to make sure my children live long, happy, lives. They dare touch my children and I will gladly burn all of them at the stake.

-Empress Christina Calatrava Vorenus

30 Minutes Later

Imperial Palace, Agatha, United Terran Empire

Max sat on a chair in the dining room. His parents were in a conversation about his future while his sister sat across from him, giving him a look of sympathy. He already told her what he did, but was waiting for the right time to tell his parents.

When he was younger, his classmates who were either from noble families or extremely rich families, would tease the crowned prince for being weak and how the Vorenus family is losing respect from the people. As a child, he was pretty skinny and was very weak, could hardly throw a punch.

Thanks to some friends in the palace, namely some Imperial Guards and military officers, they coached him and taught him how to fight. During some free time, they taught him military tactics when he told them he was determined to join the military, the first Vorenus in hundreds of years.

He burned away all the baby fat and gain muscles over the years.

His parents were discussing how they will enroll their son into film school because of his love for films.

Jenny however, was enrolled into the Art Center College of Design because of her love for art. Unlike Max where his future was being decided by his parents, Jenny chose her school.

“Max?”

Max looked away from his dinner to his parents who were staring at him.

“Your father and I were discussing where you would go. Does the Britannican Institute of the Arts sound okay to you?” Christina said.

His mother gave him a hopeful smile while his father paid no mind, reading some papers while drinking from a glass of water.

Max sighed. He knew he would have to tell them sooner or later.

“Look mom, I’m sorry and I hope you can forgive me. I...I enrolled to the Imperial Military Academy.”

The moment he said that, Emperor Lucius Vorenus choked on the water he was drinking and started coughing.

His mother however, stared at Max with a horrified expression.

Meanwhile, Jenny stared back and forth between her parents and silently prayed they wouldn’t get mad.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” His father yelled.

The Emperor stood up and walked up to his son. Determined to not cower before him, Max stood up as well. Everyone watched in silence as the Emperor and the Prince faced off.

“Are you crazy? Do you want me to send you to Poveglia? Do you want to leave the throne to one of you cousins or Jenny? Huh? Do you?! What are you trying to fucking prove?” The Emperor yelled.

“Restoring the family’s name. Something you failed to do.” Max said unfazed.

“Restoring the family name? Don’t be a fucking idiot. What good are you if you’re dead?”

“Fuck you. You were never there for any of my graduations. You were never at my birthdays. When I was bullied, you weren’t there for me. When I got honor rolls, you beat me for not getting straight A’s. You beat me for not being on the top of the class. For fuck’s sake, you beat me for having a B+ on fucking Algebra. All of my memories of you were of you beating me. Then after you beat me, you said you did it because you love me and you wish the best for me. Fuck off with that bullshit. You’re setting me up for failure!”

“You of all people should know I had my hands full running an Empire in the midst of a war!”

“While also courting the Nobility?”

“To set you up for a smooth ascension!”

“Are you that fucking blind? What good is courting the Nobility and the rich if you don’t have the support of the people? Keep up dad! You have an approval rating of below 10%!”

“Fuck those ratings. I’m doing everything for you!”

“And once I become the Emperor and don’t have the support of the people, what then? If the people rise up, do you want me to put them down like a tyrant?”

“If you have to, then yes!”

The room was bathed in silence.

“Then you are no different from Grandpa. I read of how the Vorenus family had honor, how they fought among the common soldier. They did more than just lead a nation, they fought for it. Now? We’re just a bunch of rich snobs who refuse to get our hands dirty. We’ve ignored the mass for far too long and have done the bidding of the 1%. It’s about time we restore the family’s honor dad. Either you change, or you will be remembered as a fool.” Max said as he began to walk away, dragging his backpack.

“Fine! You wanna die in the battlefield. That’s fine with me!”

“Dad, don’t say that!” Jenny said.

“It’s his choice. That asshole isn’t fit for the thrown any longer.”

Before he walked out of the dining room, Max heard his mother sobbing. His heart was torn, he hasn’t heard his mother cry since when Grandmother told his mother she hopes she gets assassinated.

The Britannican Emperor orders all to shed their last drop of blood to his defense. The old, the young, the weak. They stand for their Emperor, they die for their Emperor. Building by building, room by room, one...rat at a time.

-Lieutenant General Zane Chibuzo, 1st Infantry Division, 8th Imperial Shock Army

6 Years Later

Captain Maximilian Luke Vorenus VII

A Company, 1st Infantry Division “Big Bad Bastards”

Fire Base Kronos/St. Arturo Airport

Outskirts of Rathunas

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Weidling didn’t move his command post!”

Captain Vorenus stood beside his superior, Lieutenant General Zane Chibuzo, an Afrikan, who was speaking into a radio.

Vorenus wore his ACU with Urban Camo. He held his AR-14 in his hands with his P-9 holstered. He looked on as General Chibuzo argued with General Douglas McEvoy of the 4th Infantry Division, the “Purple People-Eaters of Poveglia”.

“Look you paranoid fuck, I swear to God if you fall back, I will personally drive to your position and strangle you-”

Chibuzo went silent as if he was interrupted. Max could clearly see he was losing his patience.

“Damn your nobility status! Fuck your money! I don’t give a shit about your money and your connections! You endanger this whole siege, I will cut off your fucking balls and feed them to you! Got it you pompous faggot?”

The General furiously walked out of the command room, his right hand rubbing his temple. Max ran up to catch up to him.

“What was that all about sir?” Max asked.

“That fuckwit McEvoy thinks General Weidling fell back and moved his command post four clicks from the front line. This is why the military needs a purge to remove all of these nobles who bought their way to such high ranks.”

“So where’s McEvoy?”

“Nincompoop has his command post about a thousand meters from the frontlines. Thinks he’ll be some kind of hero if he’s up front with the troops when in reality he’s only putting himself and his staff in danger. If we’re lucky, a Brit sniper will take that pompous bastard down.”

They were silent as they walked through the base.

“Is there anything I need to know sir?” Max asked, breaking the silence.

“We have a VIP that needs extraction in No Man’s Land. Unfortunately, all Sea Wolves, Legionnaire, and Arditi teams are preoccupied and the Sea Wolf and Legionnaire teams we sent to extract him never came back. Meanwhile, every other company are busy manning the frontlines. Since your A Company has been sitting here doing nothing, I’m ordering you guys to extract him.

“We’ll go wherever you need us sir.”

Chibuzo smiled as he patted Max’s back. “Good man. Perhaps there is hope in your family after all. Gather your company and meet me at the hanger.”

“Yes sir.” Max said as he saluted.

Max split from his commander and headed towards the artillery batteries where he last saw Lt. Nazaire’s squad.

Along the way, he passed many soldiers resting or preparing for a mission. He noticed the tank crews of a “Pride” cleaning their tanks. A Pride usually consists of 4 MBT-90 Jaguars, 1 MBT-80 Leopard used as a Command Tank, 6 APC-50 Crocodiles, 8 IFV-50 Wildcats, and 2 SA-22 Vulcans.

He could see two marks on the side of the Leopard’s turret where two 152mm rounds from Britannican Mastodons bounced off.

There were reports of a new Britannican tank called the Challenger which were sighted within the capital. Imperial factories were working overtime to produce the new Jaguar 2s and the Leopard 2s to combat the potential threat. Alongside the new Terminator and another batch of Rhinos, they hope they can make a strong push to the palace where the Britannican Emperor was holed up.

Overhead, Max saw a flight of TH-75 Nighthawks, AH-84 Vultures, and AH-72 Condors flying past the base. He could see the damage on some of the helos from AA fire, especially a Nighthawk which had a smoking tail.

Max finally spotted the squad resting on some lawn chairs near an assortment of TA-77s, SPG-50 Cobras, RL-270 Thunders, RL-70 Hwachas, and one RL-88 Fury.

“Ah, our oh so glorious majesty has graced us with his return.” said a soldier of Belkan and Nordic heritage as he gave a mock bow.

“Oi Gustav, fuck off will ya?” said a soldier of Afrikan origin.

“Eh whatever. I shouldn’t be wasting my time with a Vorenus anyway.” said Gustav as he walked back to his group.

Max inspected the squad who were all relaxing, waiting for their next combat mission.

Private Thomas Watson whose ancestors were Britannicans who fled to the Empire, sat on a lawn chair drinking a can of soda. His AR-8 was on his lap and his R-23 SMAW sitting on a crate next to him.

Sitting cross legged while playing some cards was a group of 4. Corporal Joshua Hinojoza who was of Hispanic origin and carried an AR-6, Corporal Zhang Bo who was of Cantonese origin and carried an AR-10, Private Steven McCallister who was of Britannican origin and carried an M85 which was known as the AR-21 and was the primary weapon of the Britannican infantry (McCallister took it from a dead Britannican soldier), and Private Samantha Bright, the medic, who was also of Britannican origin. Her ancestors fled to the Empire long ago during an armistice between the United Terran Empire and the Britannican Empire. She carried an SMG-6.

Behind them, sitting on a crate were two other soldiers. Lieutenant Allison Nazaire was of Gaullic origin and carried a SMG-5. Next to her was Sergeant Ezekiel Okoye who was of Afrikan origin. He carried an AR-20.

Walking away from Max was Private Gustav Janikowski who was half-Belkan, half Nordic, and carried a MG-8. He always had a deep hatred towards the Vorenus family.

Okoye jumped got off the crate and walked up to Max.

“Sup Cap. So, got anything for us?”

“Sure do.” Max said before he turned to the rest of the squad who had their attention on him. “I want all of you to go to the hanger for a briefing. Zeke, Allison, can I talk to you two for a second?”

The squad silently got up and started heading towards the command tent while Zeke and Allison waited for Max to speak.

Max waited until the rest of the squad was out of earshot.

“We’ve got a problem.”

Zeke and Allison looked at each other before Allison spoke up.

“What kind of problem?”

“My dad, he’s coming here. Heard he wants to pull me out of the war. He must’ve of heard of what happened during the attack two weeks ago.”

Zeke in particular, grimaced. They were part of Convoy Delta on its way to Fire Base Kronos when they were ambushed by Britannican Spec Ops. A sniper hit Max on the helmet but luckily, it only grazed it. All it did was give him a scare. During the same ambush, a Wildcat was blown up by AT Rockets and a shrapnel grazed Zeke’s arm as he was pulled into cover by Allison.

“So what do we do?” asked Zeke.

Max sighed sadly. “We do as we’re told, but I want you guys to promise me something.”

“Um, sure. What is it?” Allison asked.

“I want you guys to hold me back, just in case I feel like punching my dad on the face. Emperor or not, I don’t give a damn.”

“Wooo damn, you really think it’ll happen?” said Zeke.

“The fact that all of a sudden he decides to act like a father is bullshit. This is war, there’s always risks and I don’t want to leave you guys behind.”

And because it would be a massive PR disaster. Max thought.

“Are you planning to tell everyone else?” Allison asked.

“Of course, just thought I’d tell you guys first.”

“Well,” Zeke said as he looked around before turning back to Max. “We’re right behind you brother. To the end.”

Max nodded. “To the end. Now go make sure the squad’s not misbehaving in our absence.”

Zeke looked back and forth between Allison and Max and smiled.

“Sure thing sir.” He said while doing a mock salute.

They were silent as Zeke walked away. Once he was out of sight, they hugged each other.

“You think your father will like me?” Allison asked.

“Maybe, maybe not. I honestly don’t care.”

Once again, they were silent as they enjoyed each other’s company.

“Promise me something Max.” Allison said as she broke the silence.

“If your dad decides to pull you out of the war, promise me you won’t forget about us. Not just me, all of us.”

Max smiled as he held on to her.

“Of course, you all have a special place in my heart.”

“Even Gustav?”

The Prince laughed.

“Even Gustav.”

He pecked her on the cheek before breaking the hug.

“Go ahead, I’ll gather the rest of the company.”

Allison smiled as she walked away while Max stared at her with a sigh.

He turned around to gather the rest of the company but saw two soldiers walking up to him. Max recognized one of them as Lieutenant Sackhcham Kumar, a Mughal, but he didn’t recognize the other soldier.

“Sup cap.” Kumar greeted.

“Hey Kumar, who’s this?”

The soldier in question stood at attention and saluted Max.

“Private Daniel Spencer reporting for duty sir.” The young soldier said.

“Um, at ease.” Max said. Spencer looked like he was barely in his twenties and carried an MG-3.

“Spencer here was misinformed. He was told he was suppose to be in my squad when he should be at Lieutenant Nazaire’s squad. No fucking clue where they are.” Kumar said.

“Well, you just missed them. They went to the hanger for a debriefing.”

“A debriefing?”

“Chibuzo’s assigning us with a mission. Gather your squad and bring them to the hanger.”

“And what about Spencer here?” Kumar said patting Spencer’s shoulder.

“I’ll take care of him. Tell everyone from A Company to go to the hanger for a debriefing.”

Kumar nodded before jogging away to find his squad. Max’s attention returned to Spencer.

“Walk with me.” Max said as he started walking towards the hanger. Spencer without a word, followed Max’s orders.

“So...what’s your story?” Max asked.

“Well sir, I have an older brother in the military and both of my parents were farmers. My brother Christian volunteered while I was drafted out of high school. I wanted to be a paratrooper but ended up getting a desk job. So one day, some officer came up to me and told me I was being shipped to the frontlines and here I am.”

“So you haven’t killed yet?”

“Um, we were forced to kill some birds during training…”

“Trust me, killing another person is completely different. I just don’t want you freezing up after getting your first kill.”

Spencer gulped at the thought.

“So, who’s your brother and what unit is he in?”

“Captain Christian Spencer, 4th Infantry Division. He was hoping that I would end up in his unit sir.”

“Yeah well that was a long shot. So tell me Daniel, you’re not bothered by someone of a different skin color and of different religious beliefs right?” Max asked.

“No sir. As long as they know how to fight and are on our side, I’m fine working with.”

“Heh, good. You’re already a better man than your brother.”

Spencer stopped walking in confusion at what the Captain said. He shook his head, dismissing what he said, and jogged to catch up to the Captain.

Memento nos non paucas, per multitudinem bestiarum exterminati sunt. (Remember us, by the hordes unleashed.)

-Motto of the Imperial Army

15 Minutes Later

“Our HVI is a Saxon scientist named Doctor Heinrich Steiner. He was once an Imperial Scientist who was kidnapped by the Britannicans and forced to work for them. Thanks to some spooks, he was able to escape. Intel says he’s being escorted by three spooks and are holed up in the Lone Star Motel in No Man’s Land, about a click east of the Roosevelt Hotel. You will all be dropped a few clicks away near our front lines. From there, you are to extract the HVI and escort him back to the frontlines. Callsign is ‘Icepick’, countersign ‘Phoenix’. Any questions?” Chibuzo said as he used a pointer on a giant map to show the location of the motel, their LZ, and the possible routes they can take.

Chibuzo scanned the groups of officers and squad leaders who stood in front of him. He noticed Sergeant Okoye raise his hand.

“Yes?”

“Um, what’s so special about this scientist sir?” Okoye asked.

“A lot of things. Spooks say he’s got a lot of designs that may prove beneficial to the Empire, especially in a future war against the ponies.”

Everyone perked up when they heard that last bit of information.

“Make no mistake ladies and gentleman, his research is crucial and his survival is of utmost importance.”

Max rose his hand to which the General nodded to him.

“Why not just drop us at the motel sir?”

“Good question. Unfortunately, the motel is within range of the Britannican frontlines and stranded Britanncan units may drop some birds out of the air which is why you’ll all be dropping not too far from our frontlines. From there, you will all jog to the motel, extract the HVI, and escort him back to the LZ. QRF will be on standby in case shit hits the fan. Anymore questions?”

This time, nobody rose their hands.

“Good, now I believe you have an announcement Captain?”

Max nodded as he stepped up while Chibuzo stepped aside.

“Well guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. The Emperor is coming here.”

They were silent as they listened to him.

“This was...sudden. I have no clue why he’s coming here, but I received information that he may pull me out of the war.”

“Booooo!” He heard Gustav yell among the crowd.

“Shut the fuck up you ewok lookin as bitch!” Zeke yelled.

“Both of you calm down!” Max said. “Look, I really don’t want to be pulled out. It’s wrong to force me to abandon you guys. Like I said, it’s just a possibility. This may be my last combat mission and I would just like to say, I am immensely proud of all of you. We’ve fought at the Two Rivers, Angel Peak, Superstition Mountain, and Hill 741. We’ve all lost friends along the way.”

Max paused as he saw many of them lower their heads in remembrance of some fallen brothers and sisters of A Company.

“Remember, not only are there stranded Brits, but also stranded friendlies and civilians in No Man’s Land. Watch your fire. Challenge is ‘Red’, countersign is ‘Bear’. We’ll take in any friendlies we encounter. Let's make this count. Til himmelen eller helvete.”

“Ura!” They all yelled as they rose their fists into the air.

Memento nos non secus infernum pluit. (Remember us, by the hell we rained.)

-Motto of the Imperial Air Force

20 Minutes Later

Max jogged with Nazaire’s squad to a Nighthawk waiting for them. The rest of A Company went to their designated choppers.

He took note of the nose art of the Nighthawk which depicted a naked woman with a revolver and a cowboy hat laying down, posing. Below her in yellow lettering were the words “Ms. Outlaw” and below the words were six bullets. Max guessed they signified the combat missions this chopper took part in.

The Captain climbed aboard the chopper and took a seat next to Zeke.

“Wow, I’m honored. The soldier boy prince is here.”

Max looked at the cockpit to see a grinning pilot wearing aviator glasses staring at the passengers.

“Outlaw Flight, this is Birdwatcher, you are cleared to Objective Bravo. The skies are yours. Good luck.”

“Outlaw 1-1 copies.” The pilot said as he turned back to the controls. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seat belts and please don’t fool around. Some lads from B Company fucked around and one fell off my chopper. Wasn’t a pretty sight.”

“Duly noted.” Max said over the radio.

The passengers felt the chopper rise off the ground. Max could see seven other Nighthawks doing the same.

“Alright Outlaw, keep it tight. Stay within formation. We all wanna be home in time for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or whatever you celebrate.” The pilot said over the radio.

“1-2 copies.”

The 8 Nighthawks of Outlaw Flight formed into a box formation.

“Outlaw Flight this is Deadly Flight. We’ve been assigned to escort you to Objective Bravo. Mind if we join in?” Max heard a female voice from the radio.

“Copy that Deadly. Make sure you waste any tangos you see.”

“Deadly copies.”

The 4 Condors of Deadly Flight formed into a diamond formation around Outlaw Flight. After several minutes, they’ve already flown out of Sector Golf and into Sector X-Ray held by the 4th Infantry.

Sector X-Ray was flanked by Sector Delta controlled by the 2nd Infantry led by Lt. General Theodor Weidling and the 1st Armored Division led by Lt. General Nathaniel Weaver to the left, and on the right was Sector Fedor held by the 5th Infantry under Lt. General Markus Weatherby and the 7th Armored Division led by Lt. General Amir Abdullah.

Behind the 3 Sectors lies Sector Golf held by the 1st Infantry led by Lt. General Zane Chibuzo and Sector Kilo held by the 3rd Infantry led by Lt. General Gunichi Kurokawa. The 1st and the 3rd were meant to reinforce any breaches in Delta, X-Ray, and Fedor. Recently, General McEvoy relayed a report that his HQ was under attack but made no calls for reinforcements and went dark. A Legionnaire team was sent to investigate.

Coming to reinforce them was the 2nd Armored Division led by Lt. General Ferenc Lakatos who were ordered to reinforce the 4th Infantry Division after the 9th Armored Division was pulled out after sustaining heavy losses, and the 4th Marine Division under Lt. General DeMarcus Forge. Due to a miscommunication with the commander of the 9th Armored and McEvoy, they pulled out prematurely forcing the 2nd Armored to double time it to the frontlines.

Together, besides the 4th Marine Division, they make up the 8th Imperial Shock Army led by General Luchiano Visconti, the head of the Noble House Visconti. Along with 3 other Imperial Armies, they completely surrounded Rathúnas, the capital of the Britannican Empire and their final stronghold. Just recently, the 1st, 4th, and 7th Imperial Armies and the 3rd Imperial Shock Army cleared the Britannican coast and are in position to reinforce the siege from the south, and the 2nd, 9th, and 10th Imperial Armies and the 4th Imperial Shock Army defeated the Britannican 8th and 14th Royal Armies in the Enigma Forests and are in position to reinforce the siege from the north.

Leading the siege personally was Field Marshal Viktor Brusilov.

From what Max has learned from Chibuzo was the Britannican 12th Royal Army was ordered to attack General Visconti’s rear to break the siege and rescue their Emperor. However, the commander of the 12th Royal Army refused the order to send his soldiers to the meat grinder and surrendered to General Hyun-Jin Park of the 13th Imperial Army.

“The hell?” Max heard the pilot say.

They all watched in confusion as large formations of Imperial helicopters flew past them going the other way.

“Hey, is everyone seeing this?” McCallister said pointing towards the ground.

They all saw convoys that are seemingly retreating from Sector X-Ray.

“Birdwatcher this is Outlaw 1-1, we are seeing large groups of friendlies retreating from Sector X-Ray, how copy?”

“Birdwatcher copies. We’re getting similar reports and have lost contact with McEvoy’s command. We’re working to reestablish contact. In the meantime, continue with your mission. Birdwatcher out.”

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.” Allison said.

“Neither do I. Something ain’t right here.” Zeke responded.

“30 seconds.” The pilot said.

“Copy that. Everybody ready? Stay close, watch each other’s backs, and watch your fire.” Max addressed the rest of A Company via radio.

Max checked himself one more time to make sure he has everything.

“Oh shit! Evasive maneuvers!” He heard the pilot yell.

The Nighthawk banked left as Max saw missiles and AA rounds streak past their chopper.

“I’m hit! I’m hit! I’ve lost my tail rotor!”

Max looked to the right to see one of the Condors’ tail was smoking and spinning out of control.

“Mayday mayday this is Deadly, going in hard!”

The Condor spun out of his vision but he didn’t need to see what happened next to Deadly 1-1.

“The hell, they’re not suppose to be this far in this quickly. What the fuck are the 4th doing?” They all heard the co-pilot yell.

“Shut it Landry! All units, abort mission! We’re heading home!” The pilot yelled.

Max heard a loud explosion to his left and saw the burning pieces of Outlaw 1-5 falling to the ground.

“Fuck, we just lost Fitzpatrick and Oxide 4!” Max yelled.

“We’re hit! 1-2’s hit!”

Gerrard and Oxide 3’s bird. Max thought.

Outlaw 1-2 spun out of control as smoke engulfed its rotors.

“Shit look out!”

1-2 collided with Outlaw 1-3, causing both Nighthawks to plummet to the ground.

“Shit! That was Yuki’s and Oxide 2’s bird!” Allison yelled.

“This mission went downhill really fucking fast!” Gustav yelled.

All of a sudden, there was a loud explosion that rocked their helo before it started spinning. Gustav who was the closest to a door began tumbling out.

One of the crew chiefs saw what was happening and grabbed Gustav’s arm before he could fall out.

“Pull him back in!” The pilot yelled.

Max got up and grabbed Gustav’s other arm and began to pull him in. Both Max and the crew chief struggled to pull the big guy in.

“This is Outlaw 1-1, we’re hit. I’ve lost the tail rotor.” The pilot said over the radio. “We gotta find an open space to land this bird Landry.”

“This ain’t fucking easy Lynch!” The co-pilot yelled.

“We gotta do something man. We make it out alive, I’m taking you to Banoi.”

“That’s a big fucking if. Everyone hang on to something!”

The chopper continued to spin as it descended. Everyone hanged on to something. He saw Spencer was praying while holding on to his necklace.

Max himself began to wonder what’s gonna happen if he dies now. He muttered a small prayer before the helicopter hit the ground and blacked out.

Author's Note

Part 1 of Max's rise to power is here. There will be 2 more parts followed by Wizard's background. From there, we dive into the Legionnaire's operations in Equestria.

If anybody spots anything wrong with the military parts, especially those who are actually in the military, please let me know so I can correct it. I may have relatives and family friends in the military, I am not nor do I intend to unless I absolutely need to. (Can't ask my relatives or family friends because not only are they in the Indonesian military and in one case, a member of the UN Peacekeeping Force, but they're either deployed or I have not been in contact with them for years.)

Yes, the Imperial military is suppose to have a wide variety of weapons.

And to explain why it took a while, it's because of school and I've been job hunting.