The Transfer

[Markus Wilding]

Few really wanted to admit it, but it was true that Director Wilding was beginning to age. He had served the nation faithfully for years, even since the world's collapse in 1991. It had been over twenty years, almost 24 to the day were it now December 31st instead of the middle of March. Through thick and thin, Director Wilding had been leading the people of Alvonia through civil strife, wars, good and bad economic times, and the new world. It had been eleven years since the Prussian, Romanian, and British nations had been defeated by the Wehrmacht, in a conflict that spanned over a year and cost Alvonia close to half a million dead, wounded, or missing.

 

The years of almost constant conflict and worry had taken a toll not only on the people, but also on the Director. The stress and decisions of the job had kept him up at night, and strained his relationship with Erika. She still supported him as best she could, yet she found it difficult some days due to his inability to tell her some things. Granted, this was in part due to the restrictions he placed on himself, but it was still difficult regardless.

 

This was where August Piontek came in. He was a veteran of the various wars, and a Schwarze Korps member before his retirement from the Wehrmacht. He had joined the Heer not too long after the Eastern Bloc's attack, and was forced to watch his home taken over by the Prussians. Since then, he had participated in the campaigns against the Prussians, Romanians, and was among the Schwarze Korps operatives defending Vienna while Belarus and Hungary-Slovakia were invading, intent on annexing Alvonia. Of course, in addition to this wealth of combat experience, Piontek had become a general officer following the Belarusian-Hungarian invasion, and was regarded as a forward-thinking and revolutionary military thinker.

 

He also happened to hate ultranationalists with an undying passion. The only others he hated more than the ultranationalists were Belarusians and Prussians.

 

Another aspect of him that Director Wilding sought in a replacement was the ability to recognize a threat, and work to remove that threat by any means necessary, but also the ability to make amends with previous foes. While you would never see Piontek at any Belarusian Christmas parties, you could probably see him making friends with the occasional Bolshevik or two. Not too many, of course - that'd be treasonous. While Director Wilding still handled the duties and responsibilities of the nation in public for now, behind the scenes Piontek was already working behind the scenes, making the rounds and seeing that once he was in power, his agenda would be the only agenda people subscribed to within the government.

 

Of course, how did Director Wilding feel about all this? Well, as far as he was concerned, Piontek could run the nation however he wants - he knew that if he messed up, Wilding would have no problem taking the reigns right back from him.