Socialist Commonwealth
Establishing Nation
Rijeka, Carentania
Fort Rijeka
"I'm being transferred?"
Colonel Hafner, the highest ranking female member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Carentania, threw a confused and worried look to Marshal Krajnc. He had always been the first to break important news to her, Milena Hafners close friend in the High Command. Representing the Revolutionary Army in the High Command of the Workers' Republic, he had worked tirelessly to support his rising star, grooming Milena Hafner ever since she had distinguished herself when she was still a captain. Throughout the Solaren campaign she had led the First Airborne and while her eyes firmly remained set on the post of Marshal Bizjak, representing the Revolutionary Guards Corps in the High Command, she had believed her next step on the career ladder to be the command of the entire division. The news that she was to be sent to Jurchen came as a surprise to her.
"We are putting together a secret operation to support Jurchen efforts in Boliatur and back the democratic government of that country. High Command has chosen you for this mission." Krajnc remained so calm it was hard for even his protegé and close friend to guess whether or not the Marshal considered this a positive change of events.
"Perhaps on the recommendation of Bizjak. Tell me if I'm mistaken, but has it ever crossed your mind that he just wants me out of the picture so the right-wingers in the military can continue their campaign against women in the military?" Milena was fuming.
"Oh, that's without doubt his intention. His little lapdog Mladic has been rattling the campaign drum the entire month now."
The Colonel sighed. "And you just let him get away with his little scheme?" Her last few days hadn't been so good either, with private troubles in her relationship troubling Milena Hafner, she had little energy left to put up with the incosistent support she was receiving by the man who had initially set her onto the road towards High Command.
"Milena," he finally dropped his pokerface and assumed a fatherly smile, "this is a transfer, not a demotion. We are all men above you, but we are not all mysogonists up there. Bizjak may have seen this mission as an opportunity to remove you from the equation, but with your records in Solaren, the only way to do so is to award you a highly prestigeous position. You'll be leading the entire operation, you'll formally be commander of the Raven Brigade and you will also have the final say in any matters concerning the other units participating in this operation, may it be the company of the Revolutionary Navy Aviation or the RAI agents."
A little relaxed by the reassuring words of Marko Krajnc, she let herself fall back into her chair, taking the mission briefing into her hands for the first time and skimming the reports to get a first impression of the task at hand. As Marko had already noted, part of the operation would be the Revolutionary Guards 1st Infiltration, Sabotage and High Intensity Combat Brigade - or less cumbersome, the Raven Brigade. A special operations unit formed from the best men and women in the entire Revolutionary Guards Corps. Their nickname alluded to the raven featured prominently on its coat of armor, itself an hommage to an old Carentanian fable about a lowly raven defeating the mighty eagle, king of the skies. A symbolic tale of social criticism from the 18th century every Carentanian child grew up with.
On the other half of the operation - the Revolutionary Army Intelligence and its agents aside - was an unnamed company from the Revolutionary Navy Aviation. Apparently, from what Milena could gather without completely reading the reports, the Workers' Republic was developing a new jet airplane designed for long range and high speed interception of ships in the Long Sea. Boliatur was the perfect opportunity to conduct some final tests on the prototypes and evaluate their combat performance in a very realistic environment.
"All men and women under your command will be experienced veterans, Milena." Krajnc tried to improve Milena Hafners view on the operation. "You get the best ressources we have to offer and albeit limited in scope to about a brigade in size, that is more than enough to score some impressive victories and prove your worth. Bizjak and Mladic can cry all they want about their rejection of women in the military, I am confident they will not sway public opinion in this issue. With or without your successes out in the open. And once that mission is through and the All-Workers Congress reaffirmed its position on female service, you'll return from Boliatur with so many victories that even Bizjak can't do anything else than promote you to General. Even if the public will never know."
"Fine," Colonel Hafner resigned. "When do I leave?"
"We'll have you flown to Jurchen tomorrow evening. A major from the RAI and a commander from the Navy will join you, your direct subordinates in this mission. Most of the equipment, including the planes, is currently being loaded into the ships and will be sent to Jurchen alongside humanitarian aid for Boliatur."
Fort Rijeka
"I'm being transferred?"
Colonel Hafner, the highest ranking female member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Carentania, threw a confused and worried look to Marshal Krajnc. He had always been the first to break important news to her, Milena Hafners close friend in the High Command. Representing the Revolutionary Army in the High Command of the Workers' Republic, he had worked tirelessly to support his rising star, grooming Milena Hafner ever since she had distinguished herself when she was still a captain. Throughout the Solaren campaign she had led the First Airborne and while her eyes firmly remained set on the post of Marshal Bizjak, representing the Revolutionary Guards Corps in the High Command, she had believed her next step on the career ladder to be the command of the entire division. The news that she was to be sent to Jurchen came as a surprise to her.
"We are putting together a secret operation to support Jurchen efforts in Boliatur and back the democratic government of that country. High Command has chosen you for this mission." Krajnc remained so calm it was hard for even his protegé and close friend to guess whether or not the Marshal considered this a positive change of events.
"Perhaps on the recommendation of Bizjak. Tell me if I'm mistaken, but has it ever crossed your mind that he just wants me out of the picture so the right-wingers in the military can continue their campaign against women in the military?" Milena was fuming.
"Oh, that's without doubt his intention. His little lapdog Mladic has been rattling the campaign drum the entire month now."
The Colonel sighed. "And you just let him get away with his little scheme?" Her last few days hadn't been so good either, with private troubles in her relationship troubling Milena Hafner, she had little energy left to put up with the incosistent support she was receiving by the man who had initially set her onto the road towards High Command.
"Milena," he finally dropped his pokerface and assumed a fatherly smile, "this is a transfer, not a demotion. We are all men above you, but we are not all mysogonists up there. Bizjak may have seen this mission as an opportunity to remove you from the equation, but with your records in Solaren, the only way to do so is to award you a highly prestigeous position. You'll be leading the entire operation, you'll formally be commander of the Raven Brigade and you will also have the final say in any matters concerning the other units participating in this operation, may it be the company of the Revolutionary Navy Aviation or the RAI agents."
A little relaxed by the reassuring words of Marko Krajnc, she let herself fall back into her chair, taking the mission briefing into her hands for the first time and skimming the reports to get a first impression of the task at hand. As Marko had already noted, part of the operation would be the Revolutionary Guards 1st Infiltration, Sabotage and High Intensity Combat Brigade - or less cumbersome, the Raven Brigade. A special operations unit formed from the best men and women in the entire Revolutionary Guards Corps. Their nickname alluded to the raven featured prominently on its coat of armor, itself an hommage to an old Carentanian fable about a lowly raven defeating the mighty eagle, king of the skies. A symbolic tale of social criticism from the 18th century every Carentanian child grew up with.
On the other half of the operation - the Revolutionary Army Intelligence and its agents aside - was an unnamed company from the Revolutionary Navy Aviation. Apparently, from what Milena could gather without completely reading the reports, the Workers' Republic was developing a new jet airplane designed for long range and high speed interception of ships in the Long Sea. Boliatur was the perfect opportunity to conduct some final tests on the prototypes and evaluate their combat performance in a very realistic environment.
"All men and women under your command will be experienced veterans, Milena." Krajnc tried to improve Milena Hafners view on the operation. "You get the best ressources we have to offer and albeit limited in scope to about a brigade in size, that is more than enough to score some impressive victories and prove your worth. Bizjak and Mladic can cry all they want about their rejection of women in the military, I am confident they will not sway public opinion in this issue. With or without your successes out in the open. And once that mission is through and the All-Workers Congress reaffirmed its position on female service, you'll return from Boliatur with so many victories that even Bizjak can't do anything else than promote you to General. Even if the public will never know."
"Fine," Colonel Hafner resigned. "When do I leave?"
"We'll have you flown to Jurchen tomorrow evening. A major from the RAI and a commander from the Navy will join you, your direct subordinates in this mission. Most of the equipment, including the planes, is currently being loaded into the ships and will be sent to Jurchen alongside humanitarian aid for Boliatur."