Tyranny of Steel

Having successfully deterred a full scale conflict, Berengar fulfilled his promise and returned his forces from whence they came. As for Itami, she quickly held a public declaration of guilt for the General who was responsible for the attack on the Luftwaffe. General Wada Masaari was executed by beheading in the following day, and the event was captured on video by German Agents embedded in the Japanese homeland. 

With both sides fulfilling their obligations, the war in Borneo continued as it had prior to this incident. The Majapahit Army, while initially emboldened by the backing of German Marines, was soon filled with despair as those same men abandoned the island and returned to Singapore. 

However, this was not any of Berengar's concern, for today was a special day for the Kaiser and his family. Why, you may ask? Well, because his eldest son was finally graduating from the Aerial Warfare Academy.

It had been roughly four years since Hans von Kufstein first entered the German Military Academy which was dedicated to the Luftwaffe, and in this time he had not only met another young woman who he would soon call his wife, but had also learned the skills needed to become a proper officer. 

Berengar and Linde sat in the crowd of parents and relatives who had gathered to witness their children getting their diplomas. As the top student of his graduating class, Hans was invited on stage to give a speech, and to receive his diploma before all others.

The boy was now fourteen years old and had grown remarkably similar to his father in terms of appearance. However, he had his mother's signature red-gold hair. Something which Hans wore with pride. 

After stepping onto the stage, the dean of the university handed Hans his diploma. In doing so, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. The boy then stood up at the podium and spoke into the microphone so that all who had gathered today could hear his words.

"Thank you all for coming here today, I must say that it is with remarkable pride that I find myself among the first men to graduate from the German Empire's Aerial Warfare Academy. Though I am by far the youngest in my class, I have also received the highest marks, and because of that I have been asked to say a few words to you all. 

First and foremost, I would like to thank the administration of this school, who have spent the last four years diligently preparing all of us cadets for the difficulties we may face in the upcoming months. 

Many of us who stand here today receiving our diplomas will spend the next eight years of our life in service to the Luftwaffe as the officer corps which all other airmen should be proud to follow. And although today is a cause for great celebration, I fear that it is my duty to remind all of you about the threat that lingers in the east. 

It is not my intention to be deliberately grim in this speech, but I know that I must speak out about something that few of us in this Academy have truly thought about. For as of today, we will now be embarking into unknown territory. 

For years, the German Empire, and the Kingdom of Austria, has had an enormous technological advantage over our rivals, thanks to the brilliant mind of the Kaiser and all who follow him. An advantage I must admit that has led to a monumental reduction in casualties on the battlefield. Something which I dare say has led to a certain sense of complacency among our service members. 

However, for the first time in the last fifteen years, we now find ourselves with a near-peer adversary on the other side of the globe. The Japanese Empire, and their warmongering ways, bring our two realms closer to a full scale conflict with each passing day. Something which was just only narrowly avoided days ago.

And although nobody wants to hear such a sobering reality, it is my belief that when this war finally breaks out, we the German people will see more death and suffering than we have become accustomed to during this brief period of peace that my father likes to refer to as the 'pax Germania'. 

It is why I am honored to stand beside those here today, who now risk everything to stem the tide of the yellow menace. However, I feel that as a Prince, and more importantly as your comrade that I must remind you all that although you have graduated from the world's greatest school in regards to aerial warfare, that your lives going forward will not be without peril. 

In fact, by this time next year, I suspect that half of this graduating class will no longer be among the living, and that I myself may very well not survive long enough to see what becomes of Germany. 

So celebrate today, as we have all earned the right to do so, for tomorrow we begin our careers as soldiers of the German Armed Forces, and must be prepared to lay down our lives for the eternal glory of the Fatherland! For the blood and soil of the German people must never be tarnished! God with us!"

Utter silence existed in the air for several moments, as Hans' speech had an astonishing impact on the graduates and their families. However, it lasted only briefly as Berengar soon stood in the stands and began to clap for his son, which was eventually followed by Linde, and later the entire crowd. 

Yet the cheers for the Prince, were not as excited as they had been when he received his diploma, instead there was a grim and sobering nature behind them, as if the people who attended this ceremony were finally waking up to the threat that lied in the far east. 

After saying his speech, Hans left the stage and stood among his fellow graduates, where he waited until the last man had received his diploma. After doing so, he approached his father and mother, both of which seemed to be incredibly proud of the boy. Linde stuffed Han's head into her hefty bosom, as she stroked his strawberry blonde hair.

After several embarrassing moments of being smothered by his mother, Hans finally broke away from her embrace, where Berengar gave the boy a firm handshake. However, when the man finally spoke, Hans was surprised by what he had to say. 

"Linde, dear, do you mind going back to the Palace without us? There is somewhere that Hans I need to attend to, alone..." 

Hans looked at his mother and noticed an extremely anxious expression on the woman's face. It was an expression he was all too familiar with, as the redheaded beauty commonly wore it when her husband was away at war. This filled the boy with dread as his thoughts began to drift to just what horrific thing his father had in store for him.

Linde bit her lip, and glared at Berengar with an expression that almost looked as if she was silently scolding the man. However, he returned her gaze with one of fierce authority, causing the woman to back down. She forced a smile on her pretty face before kissing her son on the forehead one last time. 

"Hans, you go with your father. I will see you soon..." 

After which, Linde fled from the scene, looking over her shoulder anxiously as she entered a car which would take her home. As for Berengar, he firmly grasped his son's shoulder before motioning towards an all black car which waited nearby. 

"Follow me Hans, there is something important that I must show you." 

The cold tone in his father's voice caused the boy to immediately become concerned. However, he remained silent as he obeyed his father's commands and entered the car with him. Before long, the vehicle had left the city and headed deep into the mountains, which finally forced Hans to question just where they were headed.

"Father, where exactly is our destination?" 

However, Berengar remained completely silent until the car had arrived at a peculiar area. What appeared to be a heavily restricted government zone lied in front of the car, as the vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint. The driver handed over certain documents before the gate opened, and allow the car entry to the facility. 

Before long, the vehicle stopped in front of what appeared to be a small fortress, where Berengar exited the car with a stoic expression on his face. Hans obediently followed his father into the facility, where he saw that it was heavily guarded by men in black uniforms, with the most modern body armor and weapons available. 

There was an eery atmosphere to the facility, as they began to pass by padded cells, whose steel doors only had a small window for viewing. In fact, the only sound that could be heard were screams of agony.

Which caused Hans to gulp his pooled saliva in anxiety. Just when he was about to ask his father what exactly this place was, they stopped in front of a certain cell, where Berengar pulled a small key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. 

Hans gazed into the room to see a man, bound in a straight jacket. There were scars all over his face, and his eyes were completely devoid of thought. It would appear that he had been tortured to the point of insanity. Naturally, Hans could no longer hide his curiosity after seeing this, and was quick to ask his father about the nature of this facility. 

"Father? Where are we exactly?"

Berengar had a chilling expression on his face as he looked into the cell before answering his son. 

"This is one of several government black sites that exist across our Empire. Those few prisoners who call this place home have committed crimes so heinous that death would be considered a mercy. Naturally, rather than wasting their lives with a swift execution, we have deemed it fitting to perform human experiments on these twisted individuals." 

Hans examined the near paralyzed state that the man lying cell was in and shuddered at the thought. However, his curious mind was quick to ask a followup question.

"Human experiments? For what purpose?"

Berengar's brow raised slightly as he gazed upon his son, before answering him honestly.

"Mostly for the development of medicine. What, you didn't think our rapid development in the field was due to extensive animal testing, did you? No, these prisoners have all undergone medical experiments. After all, that's all their lives are good for now. If some good can come from the evil, these men have committed, then I see nothing wrong with it. 

Most die of harmful side effects, but the knowledge we gain from their deaths has helped us rapidly advance the field of medicine. This man, however, is guilty of a crime so severe that I felt that only a life of torture could make of for his sins. Apparently, after years of suffering, his mind finally broke, and as you can see, he is just shy of a vegetative state." 

After saying this, Berengar withdrew his sidearm from its holster and handed it to Hans. A curious look appeared in the boy's sapphire blue eyes as his gaze shifted from the prisoner to his father. However, the Kaiser remained stoic as he gave his son instructions. 

"Your speech today was truly marvelous, so much so that I felt compelled to give a present that only you are worthy of receiving. You will now understand what it feels like to kill a man. So that you will not hesitate when the time comes for you to pull the trigger on the battlefield." 

A look of dread appeared on Hans' face as he questioned whether he would be capable of following the orders he had just received. Before he killed this man, he had to know what he had done that was possibly deserving of such a fate, and thus, with a frightened tone in his voice, he asked his father.

"F... Father.... What exactly did this man do to deserve such cruel punishment?" 

There was not the slightest bit of emotion on Berengar's face as he informed his son of that which he wished to know. 

"He is the man responsible for the attack the nearly claimed your Aunt Henrietta's life..."

Upon hearing this, there was not a second of hesitation, as Hans aimed the pistol at the former Duke of Luxembourg's head, and pulled the trigger, blasting his brains across the padded wall of the cell. After doing so, Hans handed the sidearm back to his father, and took one glance at his first kill, before spiting upon the corpse. 

Berengar was evidently pleased with this result, as a sadistic grin curved itself upon his lips, he swiftly stashed away his pistol into its rightful place, before leading the boy out of the facility and back to the car, where once safely inside he held the boy's shaking hand and assured him that everything would be alright. 

"I'm sure you can tell that your mother did not want me to take you here today. She thought you were too young to bloody your hands. However, as of today, you are a soldier, and the last thing I need is for you to hesitate on the battlefield. Such a thing will surely get you killed.

Now that you have experienced firsthand what it feels like to kill a man, you will be able to pull the trigger much more easily when the time comes. You will be fine. There is much to celebrate today, and I have several gifts for you once we have returned to the palace. It will help take your mind off things."

However, Hans did not hear a word of what his father had said, as he was staring blankly out the window of the car as it drove out of the facility and down through the mountainous path towards the city below. 

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