With a tug, Hadrian straightened his sleeve and adjusted the gold cuff link he had attached to it. A man behind him rapidly ran a fuzz-remover over his silk suit while another finished shining his expensive foreign-made shoes. With that done, he buttoned up his suit as he walked to the door.
“Finally,” his assistant said to him as he stood in the doorway, “After all this time.”
“Yes, Jacob.” Hadrian sighed and then smiled, “Finally.”
“Oh and sir,” Jacob glanced over a checkboard on the table next to them, “Soldianian Modern Arms informs me that their business is almost complete and ready to open.”
Hadrian smiled to himself, That arms dealing company will bring in much needed income for this fledgling nation, “Tell them to hurry up operations as soon as possible. I want their online store and factories producing and selling in the quickest possible time.”
“Yes sir.” Jacob nodded.
With that, Jacob handed him an earpiece that was hooked to the speaker system and the two of them walked through the grand court of the Hauptstadt Gebäude. As they neared the exit to the main courtyard, the four pairs of Sturmabteilungen snapped to attention, their bayonet-wielding rifles held high. Hadrian threw a salute to them and then stopped in front of the doors.
“Sir,” Jacob asked, “Is….is something wrong?”
Hadrian could not speak for a moment, he felt so proud. He heard the cheering masses outside, the explosion of fireworks, and the growling roar of jets flying above. “I just never imagined this day would come, Jacob. Ever since the fall of the fatherland, I never thought we’d recover.”
“But we have, sir.” Jacob smiled and began to open the door, “we have indeed.”
With the opening of the door, Hadrian was almost floored by the cheers of the thralls of people standing before him. They filled the courtyard, the streets, and were even standing on the buildings in the distance. It was a fair bit of a walk to the podium stand out in on the padio, but he loved it and took it all in. He passed rows of army troops, their army gleaming in the sun and their weapons polished and sparkling. Near the front on either side, a row of huge King Tiger heavy tanks sat like a line of dormant beasts, their cannons elevated and pointing to the sky. A chill went down his spine as a squadron of Peregrines arced overhead, leaving white contrails behind them.
He finally reached the podium and took out the paper with his speech written on it. He glanced around and saw that the two gigantic 18 foot television screens on either side of the courtyard now bore his face and his title: Kaiser Hadrian Bergsmann. The crowd cheered louder and louder until he put his hand up and they then quieted down….nothing but the distant rumble of jet engines filled the air.
“Citizens of our great capital, Glastovin, of all Soldania!” He began, “It was not so long ago that the fatherland descended into anarchy. From the bowels of inaction and negligence, corruption and chaos spread until the world could not take it any longer and our country became our neighbors.” He paused, “I……I was there as foreign soldiers marched into the streets of Totensberg. When tanks clambered down our streets and unfamiliar aircraft controlled our skies. Us lucky few that were able to get out of there, did so. We were now outcasts, strangers to the world without a home to speak of.” The thunderous roar of silence was heavy upon Hadrian as he continued.
“Then, the war came. An alliance of nations threw themselves upon our former homeland, wreaking devastation as the occupiers fought back furiously. And we all who got out beforehand could do nothing but watch the news as our land was crushed, mangled, and destroyed. Our proud monuments turned to ruin, our farmlands and crops destroyed by the occupier’s “Scorched Earth” policy, and the People’s Palace brought to ruin by artillery.”
It was then that his mind flashed back to when they left the country during the first occupation. He remembered his father and older brother staying behind to join a resistance group opposed to the occupation. His mother, baby brother, and he found themselves on a refugee convoy heading for anywhere.
“But now,” A resolve and pride unlike anything he’d ever felt before filled him, “we who were homeless now have found our place. We who were destitute and impoverished now find ourselves in a place of steady wages and decent homes for everyone. We who were just a band of refugees fleeing from tragedy now are a people and nation once again. From the ashes of the fatherland, the phoenix shall rise. Kriegland is our past, and now,” He raised his hands and the people began to cheer, “Soldania is…our future!!!!!” Behind him, dozens of huge Soldianian flags unraveled and fluttered in the wind….
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The King Tiger tanks fired once, an extremely loud blast that sent the people into a frenzy, cheering and waving flags and banners. Balloons were released into the air and streamers floated down from a high-flying Guardian airship. Hadrian kept his hands up, he was so proud of what he had accomplished since Kriegland’s demise, how he had banded together the survivors of that catastrophe, found a bit of land and formed a nation. Now the world knew of Soldania’s presence. It was time for to make allies, forge alliances, and take their place in the world.