Pecking Order
Late 1923
Imperial Army Depot Temporary Command Post
Near the Rhine Front, Empire
“Lieutenant Schwarkopf, I thought you said I was in charge of mages, not soldiers so green they resemble the sprouts on a rotten potato.”
“That’s a bit harsh, Second Lieutenant.”
Having been transferred to the Rhine Front as expected, Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff had soon been able to meet up with her new direct superior: First Lieutenant Iren Schwarkopf, the Head Commander of the 205th Assault Mage Company and one of the mages that had been on the Rhine Front since the initial Francois attack. He’d seen combat in one of the most hellish places on earth and was both still alive and fully intact. Tanya respected that.
As Tanya followed the Commander into the hastily set up temporary command room, a table bearing a detailed map caught her eye. The western border as Imperial intelligence understood lay bare before her.
Before they could get to the in-depth details, Lieutenant Schwarkopf had seen fit to inform Tanya of her duties here on the Rhine Front. She would be the leader of Platoon 3, with three other promising mages acting as her subordinates. Unfortunately, there was a catch.
The Commander gave Tanya a listing of her three new subordinates. All of which were promising mage cadets fresh from Idar-Stein Cadet School. This was… less than ideal. Two volunteers with rich backgrounds, one conscript with zero background. Not that it mattered where they came from. All she cared about was whether they could fly evasively and shoot in a straight line.
Still, three rookies for her to watch over, and here of all places. Even if they were older than her, it’d basically be babysitting duty. At least she had combat experience.
“I like to say what's on my mind, Commander. It’s the truth, Commander. Does the Empire truly need to dig so low in the barrel for recruits? I suppose It’s slightly better than recruiting right off the streets.” Tanya sighed. “Well anyway, it’s lucky they’re under my command. I can at least ensure they won’t die uselessly.”
Schwarkopf raised an eyebrow. Uselessly? Are you that confident in your abilities? And aren’t you only 15? I feel like that is also scraping the bottom of the barrel. Her record speaks for itself though, so at least she has some basis behind it.
Shrugging, the Commander replied, muted sympathy in his voice, “Babysitting is never fun, Second Lieutenant, but if the Head Brass tells us to do it, we must. Just try to keep them from burning when we throw them in the frying pan, yeah?”
“It’s unfortunate, but you’re right. Looking on the bright side, they do meet the bare minimum of what constitutes an Imperial mage. Well, almost. I’ll have to get them up to speed, and if I’m lucky one of them might even be a hidden gem. Would lighten my workload at least to have a competent subordinate.” Tanya said doubtfully, “Oh well. To other business then. Commander, what’s the situation with the frontline?”
The greenhorns could wait another minute or 10. That’s all they were good for until she’d got them up to speed anyway. Meanwhile, Schwarkopf internally admired her attitude.
She describes things efficiently and factually, and she isn’t afraid to say what others are thinking. She’s also quick to take charge in a conversation, which bodes well for her ability to command others. Heh, good. That mean I won’t have to beat around the bush with her. I have a feeling this teenager is the real deal.
The Commander cleared his throat. “The western defense line has already been pushed back a quite a distance since the Republic’s initial attack. We managed to halt the initial push, but now it’s a cutthroat stalemate of massive proportions. Any slip up by either side could mean a breakthrough, which means we’re going to be on the battlefield almost constantly. Regarding our current orders, the General Staff has made themselves clear.” Schwarkopf pointed to a spot on the map a mere kilometer behind their current position. “The western frontline is not allowed to fall back any further than here before the arrival of the Great Army. Rejoice, Second Lieutenant. It’s Victory or Valhalla.”
“Hmph. I don’t intend to die any time soon. Victory it is then.” Turning and beginning to make her way toward the exit, Tanya glanced over her shoulder. “Well then, Commander, let’s meet the dead weight… sorry, new recruits. Shall we?”
“Of course. They’re at the converted soldier’s lodgings right now. I’ll lead you there.”
“Excellent.”
Let’s hope the greenhorns can act as more than just shields. Tanya thought morbidly as the two exited. I suppose I’ll have to be a little rough with them at the start. Wouldn’t want one of them getting killed because they were too comfortable or relaxed. They’ll probably- no, definitely see me as a asshole. A small price to pay for better battlefield preparedness.
-=-=-=-
Late 1923
Imperial Army Depot Soldiers’ Lodgings
Near the Rhine Front, Empire
The Rhine Front smells horrible. Newly graduated Corporal Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov thought with a sigh.
She, along with two officer cadets, were waiting patiently for the introduction of their platoon leader. Just a few days ago, she had been finishing up Cadet School and sleeping in a warm dormitory with warm water every day. Now she was bound for the mud and blood of the frontlines with no restaurants or running water in sight.
It was a startling, but not unexpected, change of life for the older teen. Mages were in high demand everywhere with war battering the Empire’s doorsteps. And as a conscript, she didn’t have a choice in the matter anyways.
“Who knows… maybe it won’t be too terrible.” She considered with a sense of optimism that probably wouldn’t survive the next week, “After all, Erya said our platoon leader earned the Silver Wings Assault Medal. An experienced mage like that will definitely make things easier. Maybe they’ll even be handsome!”
The door opening broke her reverie. The Company Commander, First Lieutenant Schwarkopf stepped in, clearing his throat to gain their attention. Which was ultimately unnecessary, as all eyes were on him the moment the door had even creaked.
The three greenhorns saluted stiffly. The Commander nodded to each of them in turn.
“At ease, soldiers. Welcome to your new home, mages of Platoon 3. For the foreseeable future, you all will get to enjoy the luxurious lifestyle of an aerial mage on the most dangerous battlefield in the Empire. That was sarcasm by the way. Now, allow me to introduce your Captain…”
A second officer entered at his words. Viktoriya felt her breath catch.
“Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff, also known as the White Silver.”
“Thank you, Company Commander.” The White Silver saluted.
Reaching slightly below Viktoriya’s own height, Second Lieutenant Degurechaff’s appearance didn’t initially register as imposing or threatening. It wasn’t even that odd for their captain to be young. There were more than a few teenagers in the Imperial military. Viktoriya herself was one. Plus, as stated before, mages were crucial to the war effort. Anyone with appropriate magic potential found themselves assisting the Imperial military in one way or another.
The oddity came from such a young person being a living recipient of the Silver Wings Assault Medal. By all appearances, the Lieutenant seemed like a normal teenage girl. One that happened to be wearing an Imperial military uniform, but an ordinary teen, nonetheless. Nothing really suggested that this girl was actually an Imperial hero.
A closer look revealed the truth. Her stance was guarded. Her body language screamed ‘model soldier’ to anyone with enough experience to notice. She moved with an efficiency far above the normal clumsiness you might expect from a teenager.
Above all that though, was the ocean in her eyes. A fierce, dangerous yet oddly enticing intelligence lurked in those depths, and, weirdly enough, Viktoriya found herself wanting to dive in. Unfortunately, she hadn’t brought her snorkel.
Oh god do I like women? Wait, now is not the time to have a crisis, brain! Get it together!
Viktoriya violently shoved down her mental panic in order to actually pay attention. She was just in time too, as Lieutenant Degurechaff had begun speaking to them directly.
“As Commander Schwarkopf told you, I am Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff.” Tanya dropped her salute and gave her three new subordinates a piercing once-over. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my future comrades. No matter how long we’re together, let’s all get along.”
Lieutenant Schwarkopf cleared his throat again, “I’ll leave you to it, Second Lieutenant. Once you’re done briefing them, change into combat gear and meet me back at the command room. We’ll go over the latest intel with the captain of Platoon 2. Everyone else is to remain on standby.”
“Understood, Commander.” The two saluted each other, and Schwarkopf left them the three rookies to their fate.
“Now then. Let’s get to the brass tacks.” Tanya turned to face her fellow Imperial mages- no, they weren’t Imperial mages yet. That was a level of quality she needed to see out of them first. Right now, they were just greenhorns.
“First off, allow me to establish the pecking order around here. Rejoice, greenies. You three are at the very bottom of the list. The next spot in the order belongs to the dirt. The dirt acts as ground for walking on and planting food, and as such it has contributed much more to the Imperial army stationed here than you have. Please try to become more important than dirt in the time that you spend here.”
Tanya paced back and forth, making sure to alternate her gaze between each cadet equally.
“Above the dirt are the radio operators, and the janitors, and the artillery crew. In that order. Use context clues and find out why if you really care. I don’t. At the top, discounting the General Staff of course, you have me and Commander Schwarkopf. I certainly hope none of you are religious, because you’ll be treating mine and the Head Commander’s word as above God himself. Any questions so far?”
Before anyone of them could even begin to contemplate a proper question, Tanya answered for them.
“No questions? That’s good. It means you must understand completely, which fills me with joy. Next, we’ll get to know each other better.” Tanya pointed at them. “You. Your name and rank. Go.”
Once the shock wore off, which didn’t take long given their new Captain’s demanding look, they quickly responded one by one.
“Corporal Kurst von Ballhof from Group C at Idar-Stein Cadet School!”
“Corporal Harald von Wist, also from Group C at Idar-Stein Cadet School!”
Tanya raised an eyebrow. So, these were the volunteers then. They might be trouble if they thought coming to the frontlines was some grand noble gesture of Fatherland pride.
“Oh? Two volunteers on the officer track, huh? Interesting. And you, Corporal conscript.” She gestured to Viktoriya.
“Corporal Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov, from Group D at Idar-Stein Cadet School!”
Viktoriya answered confidently, though inside she was nervous as hell. Conscripts and volunteers were kept separate at Cadet School for a reason, as attitudes based on exaggerated Imperial pride often fed into conflict. And volunteers had that attitude in spades. Not to mention, some conscripts didn’t exactly enjoy being conscripted in the first place.
Honestly, she felt a bit out of place considering all that.
“Congratulations, Corporal Serebryakov. You’ve moved up in the pecking order. Right at the level of dirt, and above your fellow greenhorns.” She points her thumb at the other two Cadets. “You didn’t choose to be here, yet, you’re still doing your best. I respect that kind of patriotism, even if patriotism isn’t the intent. As for you two…”
Tanya crossed her arms.
“Since you two chose to fight in this war, don’t even think about dying before your conscripted comrade. The Empire can draft thousands of able-bodied soldiers on a whim. There is no shortage of patriots for the Fatherland, I can assure you. The Imperial military has no need for incompetent volunteers with a misguided sense of pride. If you can’t contribute the same as or better than your conscripted comrades-in-arms… go die, and let someone useful take your place.”
The three former cadets shivered as her cold words set in. So, this was the White Silver. What an apt name for a teenager with such a terrifying aura.
“Oh, and one more thing!” They jumped at her exclamation. “Are any of you good at making coffee?”
Viktoriya tentatively raised her hand.
“Excellent!” The Lieutenant grinned. Viktoriya felt her breath catch once more.
Ah hell. The female Corporal thought to herself.
“Congratulations again, Corporal Serebryakov. You are now officially above the dirt in the pecking order. Rejoice appropriately.”
Viktoriya didn’t know whether to feel relieved at being more important than dirt, or worried that she’d likely earned the ire of her fellow rookies. This experience would not be easy in the slightest. But hey, at least she was right about her platoon leader being attractive!
With that in mind, how bad could it really be?
-=-
This is pretty bad.
Viktoriya thought to herself while puking up her meager lunch in a trench. Fortunately, she avoided getting any of it on her uniform. Unfortunately, that didn’t even matter, since her gloves and uniform already had blood stains all over them. At least none of it was her own. Or was that worse?
“Chin up, Corporal. At least you’ll still be a member of the Platoon 3 come tomorrow.”
“Eh?” Viktoriya looked up from her spot on the ground.
“Those idiot volunteer officers won’t listen to orders. I told them not to charge the artillery, and what do they do?” Tanya shook her head. “I’m trying to keep them alive, the idiots. Honestly, it’s like they think war is some glory show. It’s just foolish.”
Viktoriya tilts her head at that. Wasn’t the Lieutenant… good at war?
“Do you think this war is foolish, Captain?” She asks curiously.
The Corporal gathers herself into a kneeling position as she waits for her Captain’s response.
“Corporal, war is a terrible, miserable creation of humanity. Blood, devastation, and massive loss of resources both human and material are the only results. It is a waste beyond comparison.” She looked off to the side, her expression dulled. “However, it is a good thing war is so terrible. Otherwise, we might grow too fond of it. Fools like Corporal Ballhof and Corporal Wist will only achieve death in this miserable experience. Getting them away from here will save both their lives and the lives of others who might be swept up in their foolish ideals. ”
Viktoriya opened her mouth to respond. A sudden, terrifying whistling typical of hunks of metal traveling through air at high speeds interrupted her thought.
“Captain, shells-!”She shut her eyes tight. It was too late.
Today is a terrible day to die.
An explosion rocked the air above them. Then another did the same. And another.
Shrapnel shredded the area, kicking up dust and dirt in several spots. After one excruciatingly long moment of time, the bombardment ended.
Ah, I’m not dead?
Viktoriya opened her eyes to an awe-inspiring sight. Her Captain, Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff, was maintaining a barrier spell large enough to fit two people. A barrier covering two people that just took direct hits from an artillery shot.
She cut a striking figure. The golden glowing of the Second Lieutenant’s eyes sent chills running down Viktoriya’s spine. Which was a bit odd, as it was relatively warm out right now. Questions for later.
The glow of the active barrier faded. Tanya dropped her arm. Her eyes quickly went back to their normal color, before they started glowing once more, this time in bright shade of blue.
“I agree, Corporal. It is a terrible day to die.”
Did I say that out loud? Viktoriya wondered, this time making sure not to say it out loud.
“I wouldn’t worry though.” Tanya gave her subordinate a half smile. “Everyone has their own time and place to die, and I refuse to let you cut in line. These Francois bastards, however, have earned the fast track. Let’s move.”
“Uh- Yes Captain!”