NationStates Jolt Archive

Imperial Assembly, Megalopolis One, Imperial Province of Atopiana

Idle chatter filled the Assembly in the minutes before the Emperor was due to start. All the delegates had taken their seats in the amphitheatre-like structure and were relaxing in the comfortable seats, their papers in front of them as they exchanged gossip on what reason this session had been called. The Assembly was only called once a week, and the delegates had last met two days ago to debate what action should be taken in regard to the growing energy problems in Wolvest West Africa.

All chatter stopped as the large double doors opened in front of the delegates and in marched the Emperor, clad in his ceremonial vestments. A wolfskin cloak was on His back, and in His hand was a staff with a brightly polished Wolf's head upon it. Flanking the Emperor was a squad of the Imperial Guard, their belt buckles, boots and bayonets shining like a mirror as they marched in perfect unison with their Lord as he made his way to the throne. Ianovich sat whilst the squad split in two, five on either side on the throne. In one smooth motion they all halted, then turned to face the Assembly, then rested their weapons on the ground - a display intended to demonstrate to the Assembly that the military backed the Emperor utterly.

"Let us give thanks to the Wolf," began the Emperor, his voice resonating through the chamber. Every Assemblyman and Assemblywomen stood to their feet, waited exactly one second and then replied in unison,
"He leads us through the dark forests,
He leads us across the rolling plains.
He leads our pack,
For with Him we are one indivisable whole.
In His pawprints we march!" The Assembly roared, their right arms outstreched in salute to the deity that ruled their lives. The delegates then took their seats with a nod from the Emperor, who then stood up and approached the Assembly.

"Citizens of the Wolf," he began, "many years ago the foul reign of the National Socialists and Fascists was ended through two means. One was the judgement brought upon us by Him that smashed Atopiana to ruin," he said, referring to the apocalyptic attack by Axis Nova on Atopiana that had killed over two and a half billion people, "and the other was by His people. We rose up, soldiers and civillians alike, and smashed the unworthy and uncaring edifice of those bastards!" He roared, the Assembly breaking into cheering and applause. The coup against the Nazis and Fascists has been a very memorable event in everyone's life. Most Wolven citizens could remember where they were when the disaffected SS legions stormed Skgorria City and deposed the Fuhrer, and could remember where they were when the Empire was proclaimed.

"But the threat of the Right is not gone," warned the Emperor. "Despite our abandonment of the limited idea of political parties and our efforts to transcend the world of partisan politics as He says, there are still those who would see the Pact of Iron rise again, particularly those veterans of the SS that we shamed." At this many jaws fell and many stared agape. What on earth was the Emperor saying?

"The SS and Party were increasingly distancing, and it is true that by and large the SS was losing its earlier ideological vigour and brutality. To those of you who would question that," snarled the Emperor in a clear challenge, "I give you this evidence. When our peoples were in their darkest hour after Judgement, who was the first to cast off the shackles and rebel? The SS. Those brave troops of the Landstorm who defied orders and gave aid to the refugees are martyrs to the Wolf, and even now sit in His den. Who were the first troops over the barricades in Skgorria City? Who were those who bled and died in the greatest numbers to end our darkest days? The SS," he stated, letting the Assembly consider these facts for a few moments before continuing.

"And as for those who say 'A man cannot change', look at Storm-General Beckenbauer! He was commander of Special Action Division for years, and yet he cast aside those lies and led My armies against them." The Storm-General's popularity was so universal that some believed if he had stood with the Nazis, the Pact of Iron would still be standing today.

"Yet what have we done with this heritage of ours, these proud warriors who for years represented our finest and best, led us into battle and in our hours of need, stood firm? We dismissed them entirely from our armed forces, ending decades of proud martial tradition that began the day the first Skgorrian took up arms against the Soviet Union in 1941. We threw them the bone of allowing some to serve in the Imperial Guard and letting the Runes be worn on the uniform of the Guard." Ianovich, like many Skgorrians, genuinely revered the SS. The regular Army had been increasingly relied upon by the Pact to repress dissidents after it had become clear that the SS was becoming less and less reliable. Yet the Party could do nothing about it, as their propaganda machine had been far too effective. The SS was a bastion of Skgorrian society, and if the Party had tried to pull it down society would have collapsed. The only reason the Empire had been able to get away with it was that the state of emergency the Empire was in and the wave of anti-Nazi sentiment convinced most of the public it was a necessary sacrifice. Popular pro-SS sentiment remained in the Empire, especially amongst the Skgorrians, and Ianovich intended to capitalise upon it.

"Today I end that mistake, this blight on our culture. The only people to call themselves SS on the field of battle are those scum in the July Loyalists, who even to this day wage a futile struggle against our power." The July Loyalists were a group of ex-Nazis and ex-Fascists, many SS and Blackshirt troops amongst them, who waged a guerilla war against the Empire and despite what the government said, they were not being crushed at all, mostly due to pro-Fascist support in the cities.

"I have taken the decision to reform the Waffen-SS." This single sentence would shape the Empire and its first Emperor for years to come. "They will not be a parallel armed forces as of old, but will be totally subordinate to our command structure like the rest of the Army and the Guard. They will not take a seperate oath, rather they will take the same oath to the Wolf that all recruits take. They will serve as elite Protection divisions, protecting our Empire from all who threaten it." At least one Assemblyman had fainted from shock, but but many more delegates were grinning widely.

"At this time, I announce the formation of six divisions. The Constantine division, name after Constantine XI. His warrior legend impresses me, and it will impress new recruits. The Grossetape division, in memory of our fallen Brznovian brothers. The Black Standard division, may it carry our message of strength and unity wherever it goes. The Atopiana Erwache division, to carry on the proud tradition of Kampfgruppe Atopiana. The Landstorm Skgorria division, let it bear the fury of the Wolf against our foes. And last of all," the Emperor paused, "the Zionbane division, the finest force of men and women under arms Skgorria ever created." Despite the fact that the majority of the Assembly were in favour of such a move, they could not help but wonder at the name 'Zionbane'. Surely that would attracted international controversy, if nothing else?

The Emperor then bowed before the Assembly.
"I must take my leave now gentlemen, but I order that this Assembly meet again tomorrow. We have much more to discuss, but in the meantime I have much to do." He then left, the Imperial Guard soldiers following closely behind.

The Assembly sat in stunned silence. By the Wolf, what would the world say?

It was His Paw who began the chant.

"HAIL VICTORY!"

Within seconds, the previously silent Assembly hall erupted into the previously-banned parade slogan of the Pact...

"Hail Victory!" A cry that had not been uttered since the days of the Pact now reverberrated around the Assembly Hall. But the cry was not only heard in the Hall, for this session had been broadcasted to the entire Empire. It was seen on every television, heard on every radio and proudly displayed on the huge screens that filled the centre of major urban settlements. At first it would be the youths, those who had been raised as fascists and then witnessed it all being torn down, who took up the cry. Next it would be the old, those who remembered the days of blood and iron and how the National Socialists had saved the nation. Eventually millions of citizens stood on their feet, arms raised in salute and were screaming "Hail Victory!" Such a cry had never been heard before, it was as if the earth itself shuddered with every syllable.

Soon posters began to appear on walls that read the following:



Citizens of the Wolf! Attention!

The God-Wolf Himself proclaims the 3rd Founding of the Waffen SS. Praise be unto Him!

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/doomboy536/WolfHeadWolfpackShieldSS.jpg

Do you have what it takes to uphold the standard of valour and power that our forefathers have carried since the days of Soviet oppression?

Do you consider yourself to be in excellent health and above the average citizen in terms of loyalty and strength of will and body?

Are you ready to give everything you have to protect the Empire and its citizens?

Then do not delay, for to tarry is to fall behind! Apply at once to your nearest Wolven Citzen Service centre.

In His Pawprints We March!

Preference is given to those with previous military experience, especially those who have served in the SS

Throughout the Empire, Wolven Citzen Service centres prepared to recieve a massive influx of recruits. The interiors had to be shuffled around and many recruiters grumbled as their desks were swapped for smaller ones to make room for a new arrival.

When a Wolven citizen walked into a Sevice centre, they would either be asked as to what purpose their visit was. If it was for civillian affairs, they would be lead to one waiting room, another if they wished to sign up for a branch of the armed forces. Eventually the citizen would called through into a room with three desks and three recruiters - Army, Air Force and Navy. Now a fourth desk was there, and behind it a smiling, well-dressed SS officer would sit. They would talk about military service, what it meant and what the duties of an SS soldier would be.

"The new SS divisions will be the Shield of the people," the recruiter would say. "The lives of every single Wolven citizen are the personal responsibility of an SS soldier. You will also be the Spear of the people, the instrument with which our enemies are cast down."

If the potential recruit was to the recruiter's liking, he would telephone for a car and the recruit would be taken to training straight away. If not, then he was thanked for his interest and invited to apply to another branch of the military or try again later. If the potential recruit revealed himself to be a Nazi or a fascist, then he was quickly turned away.

At boot camp, the civllian recruit would quickly learn that there were others with considerably more military experience than him. Soldiers from other parts of the military had applied to the new SS, only to find that they had to go through exactly the same basic training as the civillian recruits. There was also another clique, that of former SS veterans who had reapplied to join the military. It was rumoured that some of them were former July Loyalists, but when asked about the July Loyalists the SS troopers' faces would darken and they would demand that the question never be asked again.

The basic training was not unlike that recieved in countless military institutions - NCOs that would descend into a bottomless rage at the sight of a speck of dirt, press ups in the mud and mile after mile of run with bergens full of bricks - but what made it different was the sheer intensity. A huge number of the civillian recruits failed as did a significant proportion of the military transferees, who were left bewildered at the sheer dificulty of the training. The SS veterans seemed to breeze through, much to the displeasure of the others. As many as 2 out of 3 recruits would not pass basic training.

At the end of basic training, all the recruits assembled in their dress uniforms on the parade ground, their kit shining, their uniforms well pressed and their backs straight with pride. An officer, typically a Storm-Colonel, would congratulate them for having made their way through basic training and then send them to specialist schools such as the Megalopolis school of Urban Warfare, in which training took places in the slums of the huge city, or the Grossetape Tank school where huge numbers of T-95 tanks rumbled across the plains with recruits desperately trying not to crash them.

After finishing specialist school (or schools, in some cases), every single new SS soldier was gathered to New Nuremburg, the historic site of the Second Founding. Although the National Socialist structures had long since been destroyed, a new stage was constructed and was occasionally used on Veteran's Sacrifice Day. During the day, many speculated as to what was happening. A few privately worried if this was some grand trap, whilst others thought that the God-Wolf himself would come and bless them.

When night fell, each SS soldier marched to the gathering from their camp just outside the city with an unlit torch that had been doused in oil in their hand. They had been distributed by NCOs and officers, who had equally as little idea as to what was going on as the lowliest private. It took some hours for the two hundred thousand SS soldiers to march there as they marched through the dark, singing praises to the Wolf and the battle-songs of old as they went, but when they arrived they were overawed at the spectacle arrayed before them. A huge banner bearing the new SS symbol, a red-lined shield with the Wolf's head and the SS runes underneath, lined the back of the hundred-metre wide stage. On the stage stood a fully company of the Imperial Guard, standing in their red dress uniforms and at full attention. The only light was a single bank of lights pointed at the stage. In awe, the SS troops lined up in ranks, some hundreds deep, staring at the huge banner in front of them in reverent silence.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed and a single voice called out through the night.

"Attention!" Roared the Storm-General as he strode onto the stage in full dress SS uniform, a lit torch in his hand. Two hundred thousand pairs of heels clacked together at once like a thunderclap, and two hundred thousand pairs of eyes stared ahead. Following behind the Storm-General was another figure, and despite the darkness many knew it to be the Emperor for He was wearing His Crown, which was shaped like a Wolf's head and snarled in eternal metallic defiance. Like the SS, the Emperor had what appeared to be an unlit torch in his hand.

Approaching the podium, the Emperor spoke as a single light turned on to illuminate him.

"Soldiers of the SS!" He cried, "you are now an elite brotherhood, a Pack that can only grow in strength. You have all promised to give everything you have to defend the Empire and its citizens, the greatest sacrifice that even He can ask of you. I am proud to call you all my people, I salute you." The Emperor saluted the crowd, then spoke again. "The Storm-General will speak now, he has more to say." With that, the Emperor stepped back and Beckenbauer marched forward to the podium, the light fading off as Beckenbauer was lit up by his torch, making him seem like a warrior king of old.

"I stood here at the Second Founding," Beckenbauer began, "where you stand now. I remember how it felt to be part of an elite brotherhood, a group dedicated to preserving the people at all costs. But!" He snapped, "that was back when I was encased in the lies of National Socialism. Now I am free thanks to the light of the Wolf and the lies that bound have fallen, uselessly the ground to be ground into the dirt by our boots. Your mission is not to exterminate those who would be Pack, but to protect all that we love and cherish with every breath and drop of blood in your body. You are the pride of the Empire, and so I have asked that I be allowed to resign as head of the Imperial Guard and instead become Storm-General Beckenbauer of the SS once again!" At his cry, no-one broke the iron discipline of the night with speech but many eyes widened. Beckenbauer? Their leader? How in the Wolf's name did the Emperor allow that?

"I am the link between the past and the present," continued the Storm-General, his voice resonating into the darkness. "And so I pass on this light," he made his way to the front of the stage, kneeling and gesturing for an SS trooper to hold out her torch. The Storm-General lit the private's torch and indicated that she should pass it on. Soldiers turned and lit each other's torches, and soon the fire began to spread throughout the crowd as each and every soldier's torch was lit.

"This fire binds you tonight along with your blood!" Thundered Beckenbauer. "The fire is the hope of the people, for it will light their way through the darkness." Thousands of soldiers stood there, enraptured by every word. "The fire will protect the people, burning all our enemies who stand before us!" By now every soldier had a burning brand in their hand, the darkness fading away. "This fire is our instrument against the night, just as you will be the people's threat against their foes. My comrades, we are bound here tonight in the Wolf's presence." He raised his right arm in salute, the burning torch in his hand.

"Hail Victory!" He cried.

"Hail Victory!" Two hundred thousand voices cried back.

Supreme Headquarters, Imperial Armed Forces (SHIAF):

Adjutant-Captain Beresov sighed as, for the fourth time in ten minutes, he altered the sketch diagram he'd been working on for his report. The newly raised units - the SS and the Foreign Legions - were playing merry hell with the chain of command and, he thought, would continue to do so for some time. Worse, he had to sort it out by tonight, or he'd miss the kriegspiel exercise in the mess; which would only delay his waiting promotion.

Screwing up the paper, he took a fresh sheet, and began again...

Chain of Command, Imperial Armed Forces:

Commander-in-Chief, Emperor Ianovich I

SHIAF

SH Space Forces - SH Land Forces - SH Air Force - SH Imperial Navy

After that, it got complex. The SS and IFL were both nominally under the command of SHLF and SHIAF, but both swore oaths directly to the Emperor. So did that make the organisations a new branch of the armed forces? Were they to be lumped in with the Army?

As he sat there, chewing his pen, he made a decision which would alter the course of history. The IFL and SS would be part of the Army, and damn their oaths...