Crimson Dawn - Chapter 1: Ortu Solis
Date: November 6th, 2017
Location: Ural Mountains
It has been one year since the 2nd Great Depression shook the world in 2016. Entire nations crumbled into chaos, although, the worst was felt by the Russian Federation. In that fateful year, President Vladimir Putin was ousted and killed in a coup d’etat by a Fascist-leaning General in the Russian Army: General Viktor Karzhov. As Fuhrer of the new nation, he forged the Russian Federation into a new and menacing state: the Russian Reich. Its flag changed from the white, blue and red tricolor to the black-gold-white Romanov tricolor, and placed in the middle of this flag was a black and white Iron Cross. The independent nations that were formerly under the old Soviet Union’s control were quickly swallowed up by the Reich. To the general public, the Russian Reich was hated, but somehow the Reich was able to suppress any feeble attempt of uprising and rebellion. But there was one man who would rise to the challenge and defeat the Fascist menace that plagued Russia, and the man that would revive the glory days of the Soviet Union. Hiding in the Ural Mountains with his Bolshevik comrades inside an abandoned Soviet military base, his name was only akin to an average rebel, but soon, he would be hailed as a hero of his nation forever onward...
His name was Rik Latyeskov.
“Comrade Ovchinnokov, please tell me more have come to our aid,” Latyeskov, who spoke worryingly while stroking his thin, black beard. He was shorter than most of his countrymen, only reaching 5 feet 8 inches. He was also quite young for a revolutionary leader, only 25. His eyes burned with the fires of revolution, flaring with the determination to liberate his motherland from fascist aggression.
“Not to worry, Rik, we have more recruits coming in from both Siberia and from the West. Soon we’ll have enough soldiers to finally liberate Moscow. With that, we will cut off the fascist serpent’s head, sparking the flame that will reignite the ashes of our Motherland into a burning phoenix,” Vladimir Ovchinnikov said in a voice deeper than Latyeskov's. He was bald, muscular, and towering over Latyeskov at 6 feet 3 inches. He was also older than Latyeskov, but not by much, at 30 years old.
Latyeskov burst out laughing. “You truly are quite the poet, my friend. Perhaps I can learn a thing or two from you, maybe to become ever-more charismatic.”
“Why’s that, to win over Katyusha’s heart, hm?” Ovchinnikov replied, smirking a slightly perverted grin.
Latyeskov, very slightly blushing, lashed out “You shut up about that, you know damn well I was drunk when I told you my feelings for-“ Just then, Katyusha Mayakova, also 25 years old, walked into the abandoned base. Her long, blond hair that flowed out of her ushanka ran all the way down to just below her slender torso, which was covered by a long overcoat. She had an almost model-like body, but she wasn’t skinny, she was somewhat muscular but beautiful. Her eyes were piercing and cold but also strangely hypnotic, at least to Latyeskov. Ovchinnikov, however, was seemingly unfazed by her beauty.
“You were saying, Rik? Was I interrupting anything?” Katyusha asked, intrigued. Her voice was calm and collected, even a small bit cheerful-sounding.
“N-nothing, Kat. Vlad was making a joke, like he always does. Anyway, what did your scouting party reveal about the defenses around Moscow?” Latyeskov asked, recomposing himself after nearly being stunned by her beauty. Ovchinnikov was right, he DID like her.
“Well, we found out that the entire city is on lockdown due to the recent protests we’ve instigated. However, nobody suspects it was your rallying cry that made them revolt. Thanks to their distractions, it was revealed that there are many weak spots in the city’s defenses, and with the right strategy we can charge right into the Kremlin and tear down that cursed flag of theirs,” Katyusha reported.
“Excellent, Kat, I knew we could rely on you and your Spetsnaz allies. Alright, Vlad, we are to devise a plan based on this intel. What do you think we should do?” Latyeskov said as he placed a map of Moscow that Katyusha marked with the aforementioned defensive breaks.
“Well, according to the map, Karzhov locked Moscow pretty tightly in his grip, however Kat discovered one flaw, the Metro system is relatively unguarded and currently decommissioned until the lockdown has been lifted. We could easily slip through and come out from right under the Kremlin, and then we catch the bastard like a rat,” Vlad proposed.
“So, by catching a rat, we become rats ourselves, is that right?” Rik asked.
“Unfortunately yes, but to beat your enemy is to think like him,” Vlad answered.
“Very well then, tomorrow we take to the metro. Get some sleep, everyone, we’re all going to need it,” Latyeskov ordered.
CHAPTER 1 END
Crimson Dawn - Chapter 2: Metro 2017
Date: November 7th, 2017 (4 AM)
Location: Moscow Outskirts, Eastern Metro Entrance
Latyeskov drove the Vodnik on the dark road leading to the eastern entrance of Moscow’s metro system. Katyusha rode shotgun while cleaning her SVD-12 and checking her scope and suppressor. Vlad manned the turret and the rest of the Spetsnaz team loaded their suppressed AK-12 rifles in the back.
“So, Latyeskov, you aren’t like the rest of us Spetsnaz, yet your leadership skills are quite amazing. What did you do before the Reich took over Russia?” Katyusha asked, adjusting her scope again.
“You mean you never heard of me before? I was the leader of the CPRF after Zyuganov stepped down. I was planning on running for the office of President as the youngest in history to do so; however Zyuganov, who was still in the Communist Party, didn’t want me to because he thought I was too arrogant. I wasn’t, he was just a Stalinist who was hypnotized by his cult of personality. It angers me that people still believe in Stalin, after what he did to our Motherland,” Latyeskov described, still keeping his eyes on the road. They didn’t have lights on to avoid detection, so they used their night vision goggles to navigate the roads.
“Ah, that’s right, however I didn’t see you much on television, and you’re not really a man of speeches, are you?” Katyusha pondered, checking the number of rounds in her SVD-12’s magazine.
“No, I’m not. I like to keep my speeches short and concise, I find long speeches boring and meaningless,” Latyeskov said, stopping the car at the entrance.
“I couldn’t agree more, too many ‘leaders’ these days stand there endlessly rambling on. Alright, looks like we’re finally here.” Katyusha replied.
She and Latyeskov opened the Vodnik’s doors. Latyeskov knocked lightly two times on the side, signaling their arrival. The troops began unloading, numbering 12 in total. This was merely a Spec-Ops mission while a diversionary attack led by General Sergei Vasilov began in the morning of November 7th, besieging the city. Latyeskov and his team were to sneak into the Kremlin and arrest Karzhov.
“Alright, comrades, this is it. Keep quiet, the entrance on the other side is sure to be guarded by Karzhovists. Load your Kalashnikovs!” Latyeskov barked the order and signaled the team to go inside the metro. Ovchinnikov and Katyusha followed close behind, shouldering their weapons as they entered.
“Two guards on the catwalks, on my mark, take them out in 3, 2, 1… Mark,” Latyeskov whispered. Before he even pulled the trigger, they were dead already.
“If that isn’t the slowest trigger finger I’ve seen, I don’t know what is,” Katyusha whispered back, laughing a bit as she blew the smoke off of her suppressor.
“Show off,” Latyeskov quipped back, still shocked by her lightning-fast trigger finger.
“Alright, you two. Stop bickering and keep moving,” Ovchinnikov sharply commanded. He was wielding a suppressed RPK-12 with a drum magazine and an infrared sight.
“Fine then, move out everyone,” Latyeskov ordered, shouldering his AK-12.
It seemed like hours they’ve been walking; however it was only one hour. Those two guards were the only ones encountered until reaching the entryway under the Kremlin.
“It’s quiet, too quiet,” Vlad commented, concerned of the ease of access through the metro, “They told you it was relatively unguarded, but this is way too easy, Kat.”
“I know, at the very least there should’ve been- EVERYONE DOWN!” Katyusha yelled as she saw 20 Karzhovist troops pointing their AK’s at them and started to fire. A huge firefight erupted in the metro, with bullets whizzing all around them. The 12 Soviet soldiers ducked in cover in the metro’s railway.
“This is Sergeant Georgi Petrov, we’ve spotted rebels inside the metro, they’re heavily armed and dangerous! Send back up, now!... What do you mean, Moscow’s been besieged?! Those damn Reds, keep firing on them and stay in cover!” the Reich sergeant ordered as the ceiling rumbled above them.
“Haha, General Vasilov’s diversion worked after all! Fire back, men, not a step backwards!” Latyeskov yelled as he managed to pick off 4 unlucky Karzhovists.
“I got the rest. You two, throw flashbangs and smoke bombs over there, I’ll use my infrared sight to take them down!” Vlad commanded. As per his orders, two Spetsnaz soldiers threw their smoke bombs and flashbangs over their cover and into the crowd of Karzhovist soldiers, and surprisingly it worked. Within seconds the Karzhovist soldiers were completely mowed down by Vlad's RPK.
“Excellent work, Vlad, I’m intrigued by your tactical ingenuity,” Rik commented.
“Eh, Kat thinks I’m a reincarnation of Marshal Zhukov, haha!” Vlad replied.
“Oh that’s a load of bullshit!” Kat denied, blushing a bit.
“Comrade Latyeskov, this is Vasili Makarov, I am the leader of Strigon Team, a fighter group in your Air Force. We have managed to secure the airspace above Moscow by taking down multiple Karzhovist aces, however the flak is heavy. General Vasilov’s men are pushing through the city as we speak. Good luck, and send the bastard Karzhov my regards!” Latyeskov heard over his comms.
“Thank you, Comrade Makarov, you and Strigon Team have my thanks! Alright men, let’s get into the Kremlin!” Latyeskov ordered.
CHAPTER 2 END
Date: November 7th, 2017
Location: Kremlin Senate Building
The three comrades along with the nine other Spetnaz troops prepared to breach the Senate building of the Kremlin, where Karzhov was said to be hiding according to Kat’s intel.
“Alright, get into position, I’m placing a charge on the door,” Latyeskov warned.
“Affirmative,” Vlad and Kat replied simultaneously.
“Breaching in 3… 2… 1…” Rik counted down as the charge exploded the door. Everything seemed like it was moving in slow motion. The two guards standing on the other side of the door were instantly killed by the shrapnel. Three others were each taken out by Kat, Rik and Vlad, simultaneously. As the slow motion in Rik’s imagination became normal speed, the Karzhovists on the staircase ran up to the 2nd floor balcony to take cover. As Rik, Vlad and Kat took cover behind pieces of furniture, the rest of the Spetsnaz team moved in and fired off a few shots.
“Lay down suppressing fire, Vlad! We’ll take them down!” Latyeskov ordered. Vlad racked the bolt of his RPK-12 back and continued firing in their general direction. The bullets were zipping all around the Karzhovist defenders on the top of the balcony. Rik and Kat saw openings in their cover and fired, killing the rest of the Karzhovist troops.
As the firefight stopped, flak cannons and small arms fire were heard outside, with the occasional scream of an Su-33 Flanker’s jets zooming overhead, and the buzzing of their cannons. They headed up the stairs to get to Karzhov’s office, which was formerly Putin’s.
“Karzhov’s office should be to the right, down that hallway,” Kat informed as they paced down the hallways of the 2nd floor cautiously and with their weapons shouldered.
“Alright, step back,” Vlad warned. He kicked open the door and a uniformed man with a gold armband that had a black and white Iron Cross on his left arm was looking out the window, facing away from them, his hands folded behind his back. The three of them with the rest of the Spetsnaz troops filed in and secured the room, while Rik, Vlad and Kat kept their weapons trained on the man at the window.
“You are under arrest for your crimes against Russia and all her people. Stand down or be shot!” Latyeskov ordered, keeping his rifle trained on the man while his trigger finger was primed to take the shot.
“So, the Reds have finally cornered me like a rat, eh? Such a shame we didn’t kill you all the moment I took power,” the man said as he turned around to reveal his face. He was bald and had a scar over his right eye and bit of chin stubble. It was Viktor Karzhov.
“It’s over, Karzhov, stand down!” Katyusha demanded. She too kept her rifle trained on Karzhov.
"Really?" Karzhov replied, revealing a detonator, "I beg to differ."
Just then a loud explosion boomed above them. Debris fell down around them, with smoke and dust clogging the air. Rik tucked to the side, trying to hug the doorframe as he scanned the dust-filled air for any sign of Karzhov. For a moment or two he could hear nothing, and all he could taste was blood. Then he heard a yell.
There was an exchange of gunfire as Rik tried to get some kind of a bearing on where the shots were flying. Before he could even get an idea, the gunfire ceased, and he heard Vlad's voice.
"Fucking damnit!" he growled.
Rik crawled toward him through the rubble to see Kat scanning the room, and Vlad holding a bloody shoulder.
"Vladimir!" he called, stumbling towards him.
"It's a fucking scratch!" Vlad snarled, "Just go and arrest that goddamn snake!"
“Right. You two, tend to Vlad’s wounds! Kat and the rest of you, come with me and move out! I want Karzhov dead!” Rik barked as they ran out of the door, their weapons shouldered.
Rik, Kat and the other 7 soldiers started their pursuit. They searched the entire Kremlin, but Karzhov was nowhere to be found.
“Goddamnit, we lost him,” Rik growled as he pulled out a walkie talkie, “General Vasilov, this is General Secretary Latyeskov, keep the city on lockdown. Karzhov has escaped the Kremlin, I repeat, Karzhov has escaped!”
“Exactly like Ovchinnikov described him, a snake who managed to slither out of our grasp, damn him! You heard your General Secretary, do not let a single person in or out of Moscow!” Vasilov shouted over the walkie talkie on the other end.
CHAPTER 3 END
Date: November 8th, 2017
Location: Magadan, Russian Reich
Arriving in the port city of Magadan in his private Vodnik armored vehicle, Karzhov stepped out of the back of the vehicle after it pulled up to the curb near a military building that had the Reich’s flag waving on its flagpole. He walked to the door with his hands folded behind him. On his way there, 20 Karzhovists stood on either side of his path to the door and made the Fascist salute, acknowledging his iron authority.
He then walked into the building, which had a circular table in the center, and in the center of the table on the floor was the Reich’s Coat of Arms, a black double-headed eagle with no decorations except the Iron Cross on its chest. All of Karzhov’s Generals were present, also making the Fascist salute at the table. There was one seat open at the table on the other side from where he was standing, and it was larger than the others, and he walked over to sit in the chair.
“Please, gentlemen, take a seat,” he spoke, calmly. All of the generals did as he obeyed. He watched with piercingly menacing eyes, sharply into each and every one of their souls with pure anger and rage, and he finally burst open with rabid, scolding fury.
“All of you ‘generals’ are the worst I have ever fucking laid eyes on! Especially you, Alexei Chernov! How DARE you disobey your Fuhrer’s orders?!” he growled, pointing at Chernov, who was sitting opposite of Karzhov.
“M-my Fuhrer, they were innocent civilians, killing those protesters would’ve only made them Latyeskov’s martyrs,” Chernov whimpered, trying to defend himself.
“You fucking FOOL!” he shouted, slamming his fist on the table, “If you had killed only one of those protesters, they would’ve dispersed and we would’ve been prepared for Latyeskov’s attack on Moscow! All of you, especially you, Chernov, are to blame for yesterday’s utter embarrassment!” Karzhov then stood from his chair, pressing his hands on the table, putting together his next statement in his mind.
“You see, gentlemen, my Reich runs on one crucial emotion: fear. Fear is what keeps people in line. Fear of death, fear of losing people or things they care about. How do you think Adolf Hitler kept Nazi Germany intact, for as little as it lasted? Fear, of course. He knew how to force his people into submission. Even Stalin, as much as I hate saying his god-forsaken name, also used fear to stay in power, and to keep people from speaking out. Like I said before, had Chernov ordered the execution of those protesters, the rest would’ve run and hid. What emotion would’ve entered through their minds, hm?” Karzhov asked, waiting for an answer. All of them felt the very word he was waiting to hear, and he sat back down in his chair.
“Exactly, you’re experiencing it right now. That, my friends, is fear. We must make the Reds, and especially Latyeskov, fear for their fucking lives! For now, we will play defense, holding the Siberian border with everything we have, to try and lull the Reds into a false sense of security. Then, we shall launch a surprise counter-offensive in the spring of 2018 from the Siberian border. Now, all of you are dismissed… except for Chernov!” He pulled out his MP-443 pistol and shot Chernov right between the eyes, killing him. His body thumped to the ground and blood smeared on the table and on his chair.
“Let this be a lesson to you all. Disobey my orders, and you will meet the same fate as him. Do NOT fail me!” Karzhov demanded, holstering his pistol.
“Yes, my Fuhrer!” they all stood and made the Fascist salute, with expressions of terror on their faces.
“Excellent, now get out of my fucking sight!” Karzhov snarled as the surviving Generals left the room. Other soldiers on guard dragged Chernov's corpse out of the room as well.
"One day, Latyeskov, I will have my revenge, and you will rue the day you crossed my path..." he muttered to himself, still sitting in his chair, fuming with anger.
CHAPTER 4 END
Date: March 7th, 2018
Location: Moscow, Soviet Territory
3 months have passed since Latyeskov’s Revolution that sparked the 2nd Russian Civil War. Karzhovist troops retreated over the Ural Mountains and lost nearly half of the Reich’s land-mass, and now they only control Siberia. Meanwhile, the Soviets gained control of European Russia and the rest of the newly-created Provisional Soviet Republics. For now, each of the Provisional Republics has joined in an alliance. However, despite his young age at 25, Latyeskov is seen as the de facto leader of this temporary alliance. All of the Republics have their own governments but follow the former CPRF’s governmental doctrine under Latyeskov’s leadership.
As the brutal Russian winter fades away, both sides can now advance, thus the three-month long stalemate ends at the Siberian border. Now it's a matter of who strikes first.
A knock is heard on the other side of Latyeskov’s office in the Kremlin Senate building, which was now cleaned up and ready for use.
“Hey, Rik, you busy? Can I come in?” It was Vlad.
“Sure. I was meaning to call you to my office anyway,” Rik told him. Vlad opened the door. He was still the same bald, muscular and gargantuan friend of his; although he had a cast and bandages over his left shoulder from the Battle of Moscow a month ago. Vlad took a seat which was facing Rik’s new desk.
“Comrade Colonel Vladimir Ovchinnikov of the 12th Spetsnaz Detachment, you have been one of my greatest allies and friends throughout this ordeal, and I need to know something. Why did you and Kat help rescue me from Karzhov’s forces who were trying to arrest me?” Latyeskov asked.
“We rescued you because we all knew you were the right leader for our nation. You are a man of honor, courage, and unwavering honesty. You truly are a man of the people, with a down-to-earth attitude, and someone who genuinely cares for his people and his Motherland. Comrade Lenin himself would be proud of you,” Vlad told him.
“You really think that of me?” Rik asked, making sure his words were genuine.
“Of course I do, Rik, I fight by your side and I will gladly continue to do so,” Vlad replied with a smile on his face.
“Excellent. You seem like someone I can trust. I have big plans for our Motherland when we win this war. I plan not to re-create the old USSR. No, I plan to create a new one,” Latyeskov proclaimed.
“A New USSR? What would be different from the old one?” Vlad asked, intrigued.
“Unlike the old USSR, this New USSR will be a more democratic Soviet Union. One that would keep the ideals of Socialism in mind, however held together through a democracy. A New Soviet Union that permanently destroys the plague of Stalinism and cults of personality, and that revives Socialism’s true meaning. Will you join me in creating this New USSR?” Latyeskov declared, holding out his right hand, waiting for Vlad to shake it.
“I am honored to be a part of your New USSR, Latyeskov!” Vlad answered, shaking Rik’s hand firmly.
“Good, I knew I could trust you. Oh, and bring Katyusha in here, she said she wanted to talk to me earlier today and now I’m available,” Rik said, sitting back down.
“Oh, I see, now that you’ve entrusted me with your ‘New USSR’ when this war is over, you think I’m your messenger now? Hahaha, you’re quite the character, Rik! Fine, I’ll go fetch your woman,” Vlad joked as he walked out the door.
CHAPTER 5 END
