Arc of Fire

“`

August 7th night, Shepetovka.

The headquarters of the 151st Temporary Infantry Division.

Pavlov cleared his throat repeatedly, his brow furrowed.

Wang Zhong: “Is your throat still uncomfortable?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t help but shout during the retreat, and then I lost my voice. It’s better now, it only affects normal speaking slightly.” Pavlov raised his voice and said, “But when I try to shout, this happens—”

His voice broke off abruptly when it reached a certain volume, leaving only the sound of air passing through his throat.

Wang Zhong: “You sound just like an opera singer who’s overused his voice. Maybe you could ask Vasily; the son of the music professor might know what to do.”

At this moment, the communications staff at the radio stood up, walked over with a telegram in hand: “This just-decoded telegram is an order for us.”

Wang Zhong took the telegram, noticed that it was very short, and began to read: “‘Your unit must move to Shostka immediately, to reorganize and construct defensive works there.’ Where is Shostka?”

Pavlov approached the map and quickly found the location on the edge: “Here, an important railway hub on the Duva River. It’s a necessary route by train from Shepetovka to the capital.”

Wang Zhong also stood up and came over to the map, closely examining the place Pavlov was pointing to.

“This is really suitable for defense. It’s got mountains, forests, and even a river! Get the geographic data. I want to check the periods of high and low water level in the Duva River.”

The staff immediately began looking through the geographic data: “The periods of high water level… are the spring and autumn turnover periods.”

Wang Zhong: “So by the end of September, it will freeze over soon, right?”

“But the muddiness of the turnover periods can significantly slow down the pace of the attacking troops, which is advantageous for the defenders,” Pavlov replied.

At this moment Wang Zhong suddenly noticed something.

The border of Kazaria Kingdom just happens to go between Shepetovka and Shostka, even closer to Shepetovka actually.

Wang Zhong: “We… are going to leave Kazarlia?”

Pavlov had also just realized this, opened his mouth but no words came out.

At this time, the others in the room were also looking towards them, most of them Kazarlian.

Wang Zhong: “Since the order has been issued, let’s get ready. How many men have we assembled now?”

Pavlov: “Including those with light injuries, 5100 combatants and 4500 logistics personnel. Except for your six small tanks, we’ve pretty much lost all our technical equipment.”

Wang Zhong: “Arrange for train cars, start transporting to Shostka. We have enough train cars, right?”

“Yes, all day today troops have been arriving in Shepetovka by train, and the trains that were emptied were used to transport local civilians and hospital patients. It should be very easy to get the train cars to send us back.”

“Good, you organize this. I’d like our vanguard to leave for Shostka tonight to set up a camp. Has Popov returned? Have him take care of this, and make sure to secure support from local churches, asking the church to organize labor. Before we arrive, they should start digging anti-tank ditches and pouring concrete for anti-tank obstacles.”

Just as Wang Zhong finished speaking, Popov entered the room: “Did someone call for me?”

“You’re finally back. How did it go with replenishing the prayers?”

“No luck,” Popov shook his head, “Your method of using the Divine Arrow for air defense is something the church has decided to promote. So the prayers are even more in demand now. Everyone at the front is holding on to them for dear life and even plan to take ours. I’ve protested fiercely and managed to hold them off.”

Wang Zhong: “Good, very good. But I have a task for you. We’ve just received orders to move to Shostka. I need you to lead the vanguard and lay the groundwork, starting with establishing contact with the local church and recruiting labor. We’ve suffered heavy losses in our logistics personnel and need reinforcements.”

Popov nodded: “Leave it to me… Shostka? Isn’t that outside Kazarlia?”

Popov’s shout made even the ticking of the radios stop for a moment.

Wang Zhong patted him on the shoulder: “You’re Kazarlian too?”

“Of course! Can’t you tell by the way I eat? My life is owed to the sour cream from my hometown!”

Wang Zhong: “Then you should eat as much as you can now. Nelly!”

The maid entered the room, looking puzzledly at Wang Zhong.

“Prepare some sour cream for Popov to fill up on,” Wang Zhong ordered.

At that moment, someone among the staff raised their hand: “I want some too.”

“And me!”

“Me too!”

Wang Zhong changed his request: “Nelly, prepare some supper, and get more of the Kazarlian local delicacies.”

Nelly nodded and left.

Wang Zhong suddenly thought, considering how long he had been in this world, he still didn’t know what ‘homeland delicacies’ were and it was a good time to get to know them.

To get to know the foods of his “homeland.”

“Homeland.”

————

St. Ye Katerina Fortress, Summer Palace, Command Headquarters Operations Department.

As soon as Tsar Nicholas V entered, he asked, “Have you drafted the new plan yet? How many troops can we save?”

Marshal Semyon Konstantinovich stood up, took a long rod beside the map, and started gesturing over the map: “We are currently reinforcing Shepetovka, and when the relief operation begins, Duke Meishikin of Shepetovka will command an assault. The target is to threaten the supply line of the enemy’s second armored group…”

“`

Nikolai V interrupted Marshal Semyon, “I don’t care about your plans, I don’t understand them anyway, I just want to know how many people can be saved?”

Marshal Semyon and Chief of General Staff Tukhachev exchanged glances and replied, “Four hundred thousand, it’s impossible to save more under the current circumstances.”

Nikolai V slumped into his seat, staring at the map.

“Is this the best-case scenario?” he asked.

Marshal Semyon nodded, “Yes.”

“And the worst-case? Give me some mental preparation,” His Majesty the Tsar said with a voice that had aged considerably.

Marshal Semyon exchanged looks with Tukhachev again.

He considered for a moment before saying, “The worst-case scenario is that not a single person can be evacuated.”

“What?” the Tsar exclaimed, “Not a single person can be evacuated?”

Chief of General Staff Tukhachev spoke up, “If we had started to retreat immediately at the onset of the enemy’s offensive, we could have saved more troops, but now it’s too late…”

The Tsar stood up, pounding the table as he yelled, “Too late, too late! That’s all you say! Less than a week ago, you were still telling me that we could push the enemy back to the national border any minute! I should have executed all of you cowards by firing squad! You are traitors of Ante!”

At that moment, Marshal Semyon said, “It was you who refused to retreat, sire. If we had retreated then, even if the situation was terrible, we could have saved three hundred thousand troops.”

Nikolai V fell back into his chair, looking much older.

“Yes, it was I who didn’t allow the retreat. Are you blaming me now? Do you want me to take full responsibility for this great defeat? Is that what you think, without considering who was there, thumping their chests before the war began? And who was it that arrogantly ousted Gorky Konstantinovich?”

“It was you! It was you all!”

After venting his emotions, Nikolai V sighed, “Call my son back, have a plane fetch him now!”

Marshal Semyon asked, “What about the retreat plan…”

Nikolai V said, “Follow your plan, I approve it.”

The generals exchanged glances, not concealing their surprise.

Tukhachev stood up and picked up the telephone from the table, “This is the Chief of General Staff, the plan has been approved, execute immediately. Repeat, execute immediately!”

Nikolai V commanded, “Send the best pilot! Go get my son now!”

Marshal Semyon said, “Taking the Crown Prince away now could risk turning it into a rout. After these days of battle, the troop’s morale is already very shaky.”

“I don’t care!”

Just as Nikolai V slammed his fist on the table, a communication officer came in through the door.

Seeing the situation, he froze, standing at the doorway with the telegram, unsure of what to do.

Tukhachev noticed the communication officer and said, “Give me the telegram, where’s it from?”

Communication officer: “It’s from Argesukov, signed by the Crown Prince.”

Nikolai V stood up swiftly, walked over in two strides, snatched the telegram, and began to read.

As he read, he collapsed to his knees.

The gathered generals were shocked and rushed to support their sovereign.

Marshal Semyon grasped the corner of the telegram, “May I?”

Nikolai V let go of the telegram and weakly waved his hand.

Marshal Semyon looked at the telegram.

“Dear Father Tsar, I have decided to fulfill my duty as an overseeing officer and lead the troops into an attack against the enemy myself. The current situation is extremely perilous, with Argesukov on the brink of encirclement. As your son, I am unable to stop the enemy’s onslaught and save the million-strong army here; I can only contribute a meager effort. Love, Ivan Nikolayevich Andronov.”

After reading the telegram, the marshal passed the telegram paper to Chief of General Staff Tukhachev.

The Chief of General Staff finished reading with a very complex expression on his face.

At that moment, the Tsar suddenly rallied, shouting, “Dispatch the plane! The plane! Tie Ivan to the plane and have him flown here! Fly over!”

Tukhachev responded, “Understood, we’ll send a plane right away.”

————

Argesukov, Southwestern Front Army Headquarters.

When the communication officer entered with uncontrollable joy on his face, he announced, “The telegram’s arrived! The retreat plan has been approved!”

The senior officers in Headquarters were stunned; it was the Front Army Chief of Staff who first snapped out of it, “Let me see it!”

The communication officer immediately handed the telegram to the Chief of Staff.

The Chief of Staff quickly read through the telegram and his face lit up with joy, “It’s a retreat order! Plus, High Command is preparing to launch an offensive towards Shepetovka to support our breakout. There’s another order here, Your Royal Highness; the plane to pick you up will arrive shortly.”

Ivan’s smile swiftly climbed his lips but vanished just as quick, “No, what would happen to the morale if I left under these circumstances?”

“It will collapse,” the Front Army Chaplain said with certainty, “The breakout will turn into a mass of people bumping around like headless flies. The fields of Kazarlia are so vast that quite a few should make it out, but that’s all they’ll be doing—getting out.”

Ivan bit his lip, “Then I won’t go, keep to the original plan. I will personally lead a force to break through, let the whole army know this. Moreover, prepare a royal banner, and make it big, bigger than the red flag of my dear friend Rocossov!”

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