Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Interlude: Jankowski

Born into a great lineage that can be traced back to the noble Winged Hussars, Jankowski most certainly can be said to be a man of ambition. Yet, in an age where cavalry charge may as well be a pipe dream, or at least that is what the man would like to think, Jankowski chooses a different to fulfill the dream passed onto him. A dream to make Polania the mover and pusher on the world's stage, just as it had been after September 11, 1693.

To achieve this dream, Jankowski opts not to follow the martial path like his ancestors before him. His ancestors before him trailblazed their dreams while still retaining their codes of honor, ultimately amounting to nothing despite their best efforts. So, why should Jankowski follow in their footsteps and mistakes? Instead, he sees hope in attaining his wish on the path of a scholar, a politician, and a man who will utilize everything he can to get the desired outcome. If it means Jankowski has to shake hands with influencers or even politically extreme entities, then so be it.

On his journey to help Polania reacquire its past glory, Jankowski's affiliation with a venerable family helps him form many useful connections. Such connections allow the man to do things, performing little acts and speeches that boost his status into that of a public persona. Not stopping there, Jankowski also seeks to further his education, attaining degrees in history and psychology. Utilizing his renown and skillset, Jankowski seeks to climb the governmental ladder to steer the nation into a better tomorrow.

Yet, the path to the top may take a lifetime, something Jankowski doesn't exactly have in abundance, nor does his resources. While influential, his family and himself are only well-off, not nobles or wealthy. So, when a group of people offers to sponsor his advancement, Jankowski accepts them after much deliberation. This group later turns out to be the extremist Revolutionary Command Council, a group that is hellbent on racism and Polanian-first practice. Jankowski doesn't really care about it, as long as he can get to the top seat in Polania.

Thanks to the Council, Jankowski starts his rise to prominence in both public prominence and political status. Due to his backing, Jankowski also eased the populace into the ideas of nationalism and whatever else that the Council demanded. However, it's not until after the Cataclysm and the subsequent mishandling of the government that Jankowski finally gets what he's gunning for, the seat of power of Polania.

Utilizing the ineptitude of the Polanian government in handling the aftermath of the Cataclysm, the Revolutionary Command Council spurs their supporter to overthrow them in a political coup. Right after that, the Council installs themselves into power with Jankowski as the elected Chairman and public figure. Formed by influential figures in both the military and mercantile world, the Council doesn't take long to firmly entrench itself.

Right after, Jankowski and the Council's first move is to scour for dissidents and eliminate them by whatever means necessary. For some time, door kicking has been a common sight. Utilizing his expertise in history and psychology, Jankowski helps the Council create a propaganda program centering around the so-called 'true origin of the Polanians and our far-reaching impact'. Having altered history just enough to make the populace start believing that they're of a prouder bloodline than they really are, the Council takes this time to also smear anyone that is not Polanian by blood. They're smart about this, however, as everything is subtly guided in the dark until the majority of the Polanian public is on their side. Being steered by the bigoted government, most Polanians start turning against their Slavic neighbor. Quite ironic considering that these true Polanians have Slavic blood running in them at the end of the day. The only difference is that one can speak the Polanian language while the other can't.

At this point, Jankowski and the Council devise a plan to segregate non-Polanians from their Polanian citizens by putting them all in separate districts nationwide. Officially, the new government cites that this is to lessen the antagonism between different ethnic groups. Unofficially, they will force the non-Polanians into slums with lack essential facilities and amenities. To keep everything under wraps, the military will patrol and enforce security in these districts. The fact that the Months of Demons are still ongoing has helped a lot in making sure everything remains hush-hush due to the reduction in unofficial traffic coming in and out of Polania.

Now that the immediate problem is quarantined elsewhere, Jankowski and the Council start taking care of their Polanian citizens in earnest. True to their promise, the new government conducts aid programs solely focusing on the Polanian people, using supplies donated by wealthy members of the Council and even aid supplies from Belka. Yes, even with their anti-foreigner policy, the Council won't say no to free stuff, especially when the aid agreement was signed by the old government. While they welcome the Belkan hospitality with open arms, the Council sneakily wipes away the Belkan name tag and changes the ownership of the aid package into their names. As such, the Polanian citizens are none the wiser as they vehemently praise the outstanding deeds Jankowski and the Council have done.

Emboldened by their success, the new government continued to carry on the ruse while enforcing a new narrative. The propaganda now paints Jankowski and the Council as heroes of Polania who have stepped up to stem corruption given forms by non-Polanians and foreigners. Under this narrative, dissidents of any kind are branded as criminals and even terrorists. The terrorist denominator, in particular, has been used to refer to their new slum dwellers after some of which rise up to resist the Council.

To Jankowski, they're nothing but troublemakers, not having the strength to do much damage at all when isolated and up against the professional army. As such, he tends to leave such little nuisance for others in the Council to deal with. The Chairman has better ways to spend his time, namely to explore avenues that can further bolster Polania's strength. When compared to the vast Rusviet or the enigmatic Belka, Polania is like a little bumbling kid. Hence, getting their economy and military power up to par with regional power is a must. The aid supplies from Belka will have the effort by a fair margin because the Council won't have to expend its funds, thus freeing it for investment.

Things are starting to look bright for Jankowski's vision of a better Polania, one under his command. Even some of his family comes forth to congratulate him on his endeavors. As long as Jankowski keeps a good head on his shoulders, Polania can safely develop itself, hiding under the guise of neutrality. Let the strong brawl each other while Polania, being the smarter kin, feasts on its weakened peers when the dust settles down.

Or at least that was the plan. Lately, the Council has been resting on its laurels, culminating in an event that will derail everything Jankowski has planned.

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Jankowski steps into a meeting room that has been buzzing with shouting and heated discussion just prior. It has been an entire day since the failed cleanup of the slum in Warsaw and even now no one knows just what to do or make of this startling event. The atmosphere before Jankowski arrives has been that of confusion, chaos, and moments away from hands and fists being thrown at one another. They only really halt their words when they see Jankowski. As such, when the Chairman sees this illustrious Council all standing up like hooligans, he immediately says.

"Take a seat... Buddies." He put extra emphasis on the 'buddies' part.

Even though the Council is what made Jankowski the man he is today, it doesn't change the fact that the man himself is also smart and charismatic. Hence, following the Chairman's words, the rest of the Council sits down one by one. They still eye each other annoyingly, however. Unfortunately, it's not something that Jankowski can stamp out just yet as they're already running out of time as is.

When Jankowski moves right behind his designated seat as a Chairman, one member of the Council, a factory owner, asks tensely. "Please tell me you at least have a plan, Chairman."

Jankowski just smiles disarmingly. "Can't I come here just because I miss you guys?" Jankowski moves to give the speaker a couple of pats on the shoulder. "Just wanted to see your smiling faces."

"And, truth to be known, I felt like we're overdue a little heart-to-heart. A rap session, maybe a little tough love." Jankowski moved around the meeting table, gazing at the Council members around it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asked a surviving General at Warsaw who had escaped the destruction of their Garrison HQ out of sheer luck. The man survived, bar a few bruises and scars, for being outside the HQ at the right time.

Jankowski sighs. "It means, that lately, some of you have been a little out of sorts. Erratic. Unreliable. Downright sloppy..." The Chairman points at the Minister of Economy. "Not you Szymon. You've been great!"

"But the rest of you... Tsk, tsk, tsk. It's fair to say that I am, disappointed." Jankowski leveled them with a judgmental gaze. "Gotta keep your eyes on the ball, guys. The enemies are storming the gate."

Jankowski raises his hands, shrugging. "I mean, Warsaw just took a big hit. Our soldiers were dropping like fucking flies."

Jankowski rests his hands on a pair of empty chairs. Seeing that the others are paying attention to him, he continues. "Were it not for your inattentiveness, we would have been able to smooch off the Belkan till we can get everything up to snuff. Now, we will be forced to face retaliation from not just the Reich but also the Rusviet. Really, guys, things could have been much different if the quarantine zones were guarded against both external and internal threats. Didn't you ever think the Slavs would receive external help? The issue we're facing now occurred because the Belkans and Rusviets could go in a quarantine zone unimpeded."

Jankowski stops for a few seconds to let his words sink in. "You're smart people, so you should understand that Belka, especially their information-gathering capability, is not to be trifled with. Sardegna is the best proof already and that land is still divided and in flame to this day. Even if Belka decided to not pursue this matter for some ungodly reasons, Rusviet would not sit idly. Mark my words that they will be shoring up a military force on our border soon. Stalin will jump at the chance to end us for good and we just given him a goddamn casus belli."

The General from before sighs, saying. "The border units have been notified, we're ready to meet everything they will be throwing at us."

Jankowski can't help but comment for clarity's sake. "Everything but the Belkans. We have mostly ignored Belka's true capability, refusing to believe the reports and words of our predecessors, and thus we paid a heavy price. Just the fact that they can bomb Warsaw with impunity shows that we can't retaliate against them, not when our airplanes and AA installations just mysteriously exploded somewhere."

The Council shares a look at each other before one of them muster the courage to ask. "What should we do then?"

Jankowski taps his finger on the headrest of the chair. "I am not a military adept individual, but even I know that we can't fight on two fronts, especially when Belka is one of our opponents. As such, I recommend we parlay with the Reich first and foremost. No matter what, we need to have them not attacking us when Rusviet is still breathing on our neck. Meanwhile, our propaganda will be working under the assumption that everything we have done will be coming to light, and that means even our most dirtied secret. We need to start a blanket propaganda campaign before other nations can impeach us. At the very least, we need to ensure the loyalty of our citizens."

"What will happen to their diplomats? More importantly, what will happen to that train?" One of the senior members of the Council asked while smoking his pipe. "Reports from other watch posts have it that the Belkans have somehow managed to send an escort force deep in our nation to protect that train."

"It's no different than an act of war!" One of the military members of the Council added.

"We will do nothing!" Jankowski emphasized. "Let them leave! The situation is already shittier enough with how we fired the first shot at them! If they are that die-hard on protecting a singular train crew, imagine how they will react when we attack a group three times that size! The last thing we need is for them to straight up declare war on us!"

The Chairman's proclamation silences any further world from the militarist members of the Council. "I know that you all won't like taking a lower stance and parlaying with the Belkans. Nevertheless, we're at the precipe of losing everything we fought for. I won't let my feelings blind my judgment and neither should you! Now, do we all agree on my proposed course of action?"

The room is silenced for nearly a minute before the senior members start giving one approval after another. Ultimately, the entire Council swallows their pride and accepts Jankowski's plan. They then proceed to iron out the finer details and ways to implement it. This is not a discussion about keeping their dirty work underwrapped anymore. It's a discussion about how to salvage an already broken mess.

While the talk is still ongoing with people coming in and out to perform a variety of tasks, Jankowski can't help but wonder what's happening right now in the capital cities of Rusviet and Belka. Surely they may be as hectic as Warsaw