Arc of Fire

Argesukov, the night of August 7th, 2010.

When the communication staff officer entered the room, Crown Prince Ivan Nikolayevich Andronov immediately stood up, “Was it approved?”

The communication staff officer shook his head, “The High Command responded by telegram, saying that our retreat plan would incur too great a loss, His Majesty has not approved it, demanding a better plan.”

General Skorobo, standing before the map, let out a long sigh, “Send another telegram telling His Majesty that this is the best plan we could come up with, and if we act now, at least three hundred thousand men could be saved.

“The reason we can save so many is all thanks to General Rokossovsky who secured us those precious two days. If we do not act now, even those two days will be wasted. General Rokossovsky — General Rokossovsky and Duke Meishikin’s fierce battle will have been in vain.”

The communication staff officer completed his stenography, then read it aloud — essentially, it was a written version of General Skorobo’s words.

General Skorobo nodded, “Send that.”

“Wait a second!” the communication staff officer had just turned to leave when the Front Army Chief of Staff stopped him, “Add one more sentence, ‘extremely urgent’.”

The staff officer made a note and then left.

“This isn’t about whether it’s useful or not, we must do our utmost to make His Majesty aware of the seriousness of the situation,” the Chief of Staff sighed, “even though it might be futile.”

As his voice faded, a silence fell over the entire map room.

Everyone looked deeply troubled.

Just then, the Crown Prince clenched his teeth and at last stood up, “What if we take action first and report later? I’ll take the lead, order the entire army to retreat, do our best to break through, and then I’ll admit my mistake to my father.

“At most he will depose me as Crown Prince.”

Everyone in the room looked at the Crown Prince, their faces filled with surprise.

The Crown Prince frowned, “Why are you looking at me like that? Can’t I make a brave decision? My dear friend Rokossovsky held out in Orachi for two days, and broke through on the third; shouldn’t I also do something to rescue the Front Army?”

The Chief of Staff spoke, “But, Your Highness, you making a decision doesn’t stand legally, you don’t have the authority to approve this plan, in fact, no one in this room has the power to approve it.

“The Chief of General Staff at the High Command has the authority to approve this plan, but he has not.”

The Crown Prince looked puzzled, “How can a Front Army operate without its own decision-making authority?”

“We have it, but for major strategic plans of this scale, it’s beyond our decision-making range.”

The Crown Prince slumped back down, “Is there nothing I can do?”

“There is,” said General Skorobo.

“Tell me quickly!” the Crown Prince stood up again, urging as he slapped the table.

General Skorobo, “Fly back to St. Ye Katerina Fortress and persuade His Majesty.”

The Crown Prince deflated immediately, “No, my father will be furious that I was not supervising the front properly and went back without informing him. Even if I could placate His Majesty, it would still be days later. 𝐫

“Sometimes I feel that my father is still a child, fragile, sensitive, and suspicious.”

In the presence of so many people, only the Crown Prince dared to speak like this.

The Crown Prince continued, “Nevertheless, my father’s love for all of us siblings is genuine, and that’s why we can persuade him, but it takes time. And we’re precisely out of time!

“Unless we can use my father’s feelings for us right now!”

The Crown Prince suddenly stopped, “Hmm?”

He looked at the others, “I’ve thought of a highly feasible method, it might just persuade my father to agree to your breakout plan immediately.”

The others exchanged glances, and General Skorobo asked on behalf of everyone, “What method?”

The Crown Prince, “I’ll send a telegram to my father saying, ‘Since father wishes for me to die here, then your son can only comply with father’s wish.’

“Then I’ll lead a troop to die in battle, while you all continue preparing the breakout in secret.”

Because the Crown Prince spoke so casually of his own death, everyone was momentarily speechless. Then the Chief of Staff pounded the table and exclaimed, “No, this is not acceptable! You can’t predict what His Majesty the Tsar’s reaction would be after that!”

The Crown Prince smiled, “I can, I understand my father best, he will calm down after crying his eyes out, and adopt the most direct means to stop the situation from worsening. As long as I die, even just get seriously injured, my father will calm down.”

The people looked at each other.

Nobody dared to agree to the idea of the Crown Prince going to his death.

General Skorobo was still trying to persuade, “Your Royal Highness, it’s getting late. You should rest.”

Crown Prince: “I need an army—no, a division to attack with me will suffice! We’ll strike toward Lebedyan, and once we’ve broken through, we can escape.

“Certainly, Orachi wouldn’t be bad either. After breaking through we could rush to Shepetovka and even join up with Rokossovsky!”

The crowd continued to look at each other, dumbfounded.

The Crown Prince was displeased and slammed the table with force, “What are you hesitating for? Either we completely disregard the opinion of St. Ye Katerina Fortress and break out first, claiming ‘an army abroad cannot follow the orders of its sovereign,’

or let me die and shock my father!”

These resonant words echoed in the grand map room.

Duke Old Rokossovsky put down the phone, looking toward the ever-ready old butler Mikhail: “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is preparing to die generously to stimulate His Majesty and to make him see the situation clearly.”

Mikhail was very surprised: “Him? Mistake, surely? How could he possibly have such awareness and initiative?”

“That’s what growth is,” said the old Duke Rokossovsky. “Think about it, the problem child of our family has already become a War General capable of standing on his own. What’s so strange about the Crown Prince making such progress? Besides, he has an example, doesn’t he?”

The example, of course, referred to the former problem child of the Rokossovsky family, Aleksei Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, who was the friend of the Crown Prince and always ranked last.

Mikhail: “Indeed. The growth of the young master is obvious.”

“It’s not something that’s obvious,” said Old Rokossovsky as he stood up and walked to the window, looking at the crescent moon that was gradually filling out.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Old Rokossovsky said: “It’s not as though we can’t give the Crown Prince a hand.”

Mikhail: “You no longer have command authority, you can’t lead any troops.”

“Hahaha,” Old Rokossovsky laughed a few times, “saying I can’t lead the troops is a bit of an underestimation. Perhaps I really can’t lead the navy or the air force, but I think I can still lead the army, I just need to don a coat that looks rather formidable.”

Mikhail: “Your Grace! This isn’t a matter to be taken lightly, you will have to answer for this afterward…”

Old Rokossovsky interrupted his old butler: “Mikhail, how many years have you served me?”

“Over seventy years. I have almost been living on your estate since birth, and I started doing things that I could manage when I was six.”

Old Rokossovsky nodded: “Then you should understand my intentions, right?”

“Please, make it clear,” said Mikhail.

Old Rokossovsky sighed: “Mikhail, Misha, can’t you see? This war might not necessarily end in a loss for the Ante Empire, but if the Ante Empire wins, the power of the Church will surely rise like the midday sun.

“At that time, secular priests will no longer need us nobles. Never need us again!”

“But…” Mikhail seemed to want to express a different opinion.

“There are no ‘buts’! The day the war ends, the Church’s plan to purge us old nobles will begin the countdown.

“Then, being nobility will become an obstacle for Alyosha and might even bring fatal peril.

“But if I die in battle with the Crown Prince, or just I die and the Crown Prince survives, the situation will be different!

“Nobles will shape me into a national hero to counter the rapidly expanding power of the Church in this war.

“But that’s not the main point; the main point is, Alyosha will then be the son of a national hero! With his own military achievements, he will attain a lofty status in the reborn empire! Do you understand, Mikhail?”

The old butler thought for a moment and had to admit: “Your vision is far-reaching, I am no match.”

Old Rokossovsky smiled: “Anyway, I’m nearly eighty years old, an age where dying any time isn’t surprising. Let me die a glorious death then.”

Mikhail: “I am willing to die alongside you.”

“No no no, Mikhail. If you die with me, how would my contacts be passed on to Alyosha? No, you can’t die, and you need to board a plane tonight, flying directly to St. Ye Katerina Fortress.”

The old butler was silent for a few seconds and then said: “Should I also bring the young master along…?”

“He is a staff officer; he has his own duties to fulfill,” Old Rokossovsky waved his hand, “Besides, even if he stays in the encirclement, a staff officer is not necessarily fated to die.”

The old butler Mikhail stopped himself from saying more.

Old Rokossovsky asked: “What’s the matter? If you want to say something, just say it.”

Mikhail: “No, nothing else to say.”

Old Rokossovsky: “Then go and contact my old units for me; I will command them personally—”

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