The Jedi From Earth: A Star Wars Story #Wattys2023

Part 183

Tsarina Catherine Bunker, June 26th, 2016

Even for a man as finely attuned to the stresses of political pressure and military engagements, Riosovsky grew anxious when looking at the map of the frontlines. The Empire had seized almost a quarter of the area bordering China and North Korea after destroying Vladivostok in a fearsome bombardment from orbit, <<Like London>>, he thought to himself. To make matters worse there was a surge of refugees fleeing Manchuria for the northwestern section of the border, and the Russians did not have the means to provide assistance to the more than twenty million people heading in that direction. Riosovsky had two solutions in his mind for that, either let in the refugees and move them quietly into neighboring Mongolia or farther away to Kazakhstan, however it would require large numbers of Russian soldiers needed at the front to escort them to those destinations, both the SBOR and the Interior Ministry were not equipped for that either.

The second solution he thought of was what he knew would flare up tensions with his Chinese ally, to prevent a surge of refugees they couldn't provide for would mean ordering the border guards to fire warning shots to deter them from approaching, if that didn't work then they would resort to shooting the civilians. To Riosovsky both of these sounded like viable options yet he had no intention of causing an international outcry if there was nothing from the event to benefit him in some way, he knew there'd be outrage over gunning down mothers with terrified children but that the whole world was too preoccupied with more pressing matters to be able to do anything about it, especially since the UN and the ICC, otherwise known as the International Criminal Court were essentially suspended until further notice over security concerns for a meeting anywhere. For the Empire had no concept of observing a traditionally neutral country like Switzerland.

Yet the one thing he couldn't shake from his mind was making certain that Nikolai would be safe where he was deployed, both him and Tatiana who'd been sent to Yavin the previous day as part of an expeditionary force, and for his oldest nephew Andrei who was a captain in the Army as an infantryman. But Andrei had only faced Rebels in Homs and Aleppo in Syria and not stormtroopers or ten story tall walkers. Along with all this was pressure to utilize more advanced weapons in their possession.

"<<Mr President, I suggest that we consider possibly deploying the T-14 and possibly our miniature drones>>", the Minister Of Defense suggested while setting the order on the desk. Riosovsky hadn't had any liking of that mere prototype after the Victory Day parade the year before, when the model present broke down while getting into formation in front of a group of mostly Western journalists. Needless to say those responsible for the tanks breakdown were granted a final award of nine grams of lead on into their heads afterward, on Riosovsky's orders. "<<if so, I trust it will not shut down and make the Imperials snicker and not journalists this time?>>", Riosovsky inquired sternly. The minister had a slight indication of fear in his eyes, "<<n-no Sir, the mechanical issues were sorted out, all the weapons systems are functional on all the models we have>>".

Riosovsky knew the members of his government weren't keen on withholding information from him from fear of the consequences, and he knew the minister to be a loyal member of the Ultranationalist Party. He nodded, "<<very well Nikta Josephovich, you may proceed in deploying the tanks where they're most needed>>", Riosovsky replied while signing the document and handing it back. The Minister nodded at him, "<<Sir>>" he said before walking away out of the room.

Riosovsky knew that the Empire liked to fight dirty and now he had to as well. After the 2008 war with Georgia he was asked German report about why he seemed so contemptuous toward innocents in a conflict to which he said, "<<because in order to achieve to victory we must be as relentless as our enemies, this is something I learned in Afghanistan from firsthand experience with the Mujahideen and yet even after sixteen years of the same experience, the West allows itself to be restrained by its supposedly superior morals when they want to achieve victory, the irony of that conflict is that they've become bogged down fighting the same people they armed to fight against the Soviet Union". It was after that remark was made which led to Riosovsky having an already sour relationship with the West cause a further rift in the world.