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[color=red][b]Empire of Mille-Sessau[/b][/color][/center]

[indent]"Excellent," Captain di Gionio said, raising his hand to tap his cap as he passed the rank and file. He finished the walk and abruptly turned left, climbed the steps and entered the building. The winter of 1906 was brutal, but di Gionio's wool coat did most of the heavy lifting. di Gioni navigated the well decorated hallway, passing hurried messengers and soldiers while moving to the office of General von Leevow, General of the Sessauan 10th Army, the newest army in the Empire.

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[i]Mille-Sessauan Regimental Commander Hans di Gionio, 1906[/i][/center]


He reached the door and knocked.

"Come in," the voice called.

The desk was neat and clean, a single form set just in front of the general. He rattled his signature off on the paper then set it atop a pile of other papers off to his side. di Gionio entered the room and shot to attention. The general looked up and briefly saluted. Through his mild mannered mustache, the general smiled. "Ah, Captain di Gionio. How's the newest regiment of the Empire coming?"

"These men do not know how to fight, General."

The general stood, maneuvering around his desk to the window. He waved di Gionio close, and the Etellian joined him at the window. The snow hadn't fallen in weeks, but the cold was chilling to the bone. Men marched outside the window, parading about with all the bombast of the Empire. "They don't need to know how to fight." di Gionio gave von Leevow a sideways glance. "They need only know how to die."

"Sir?"

"It is a new age, Captain."

"I don't understand."

The General huffed, his eyes squinting a bit. "I've seen guns that fire enough bullets to cut a man in half. There are cannons that can vaporize entire human beings. These wars," von Leevow huffed, "aren't fought any longer. These soldiers do not fight. They sacrifice. They die. One day, you'll learn this, as I have."

di Gionio, though he didn't quite understand, simply nodded. "The [i]Sociatatem[/i] have spit in our face, and now they will pay." General von Leevow laughed.

"Have they? You certainly subscribe to the Emperor's ideals." The general returned to his desk, lowering himself into his seat once more. "The Emperor feels slighted, and many men may die for it. But.. if it brings glory to the Empire--" the general said, the beginning of a famous phrase in Sessau.

"--then it brings glory to us all," Captain di Gionio finished. "May I ask why you wanted to see me, general?"

"I simply wanted to ensure the man that may be defending my headquarters is competent. You are dismissed," General von Leevow looked back down at his desk, found a pen and started scribbling away on a new piece of paper. He did not look back up at di Gionio.[/indent]