02x02 - A Strange Friendship

[bunniefuu]

Nothing but a*mo.

Not nearly enough stuff for daily life.

I was hoping for some socks, at least.

We work directly for Strategic HQ,
and this is all we get.

That tells you everything you need
to know about the Eastern Front.

What an awful sky.

Sorry I'm late.

It's rare for you to invite me
to go drinking, though.

I actually found something interesting.

Start it up.

What a surprise.

It reminds you of the days with
Regiment Commander Laudon.

Brings you right back to
those days in hell, right?

Yeah.

I can feel my back soaking with sweat.

It wasn't just used in place
of a wake-up trumpet.

It was for food, baths, even the toilet.

I don't know how I made it through.

I never would have without you there.

That goes for both of us.

I was told they stopped making these.

I found it at a flea market.

They didn't let it go for cheap, though.

It's a small price for a chance
to look back on those days.

That's right.

I'll leave it here.
Come listen any time you want.

I think I'll do just that.

It's been over 30 years, huh?

Time does fly, doesn't it?

Sure does.

But we don't have time to
reminisce upon the good old days.

That's right.

Zettour, you and I have
known each other for eons.

As an old friend, I want you to
give me your honest opinion.

Winter came too soon.

Quickly eliminating the enemy's
field army is impossible now.

We should rebuild our lines.

So we have to be prepared for
insults from the incompetent, huh?

The problem is what happens
when spring arrives.

Are we assuming
we'll resume the offensive?

It's the only way forward.

The Empire is just barely managing
to keep itself supplied.

And that's assuming
it uses every possible resource.

Blood continues to flow, even now.

And yet...

Our future is not totally hopeless yet.

Now, how's our new friend,
the devil, working?

Ideally, they and the Empire
slaughter each other.

The Federation is... struggling.

They'll be bringing back the mages
that they purged, it seems,

but they won't be able to take
advantage of numerical superiority.

And so...

Let's use that volunteer army.

We'll be able to make it look like
we're working with the Federation,

while getting the same intelligence
we would if we were spying on them.

Are you sure about this?

Of course.

Sending forces to the volunteer army
is just what we need.

I'd rather have the Allied Kingdom

working for us as an ally
than being our enemy.

We'll need a propaganda
strategy from now on.

Thankfully, we're at w*r with the Empire,
the collective enemy of the world.

We need to show everyone that
the Federation are the good guys.

So we'll pick someone
appropriate for the task.

Yes. Someone loyal to the party,
and idealistic, should be in charge.

And someone charismatic
should be the mage.

Understood.

Of course, right?

That's the army that saw the fairy!

Don't worry, I'll catch you soon!

Jeez... the brass are pushing
dealing with their friends onto us.

I apologize for keeping you waiting.

I am Liliya Ivanovna Tanechka.

This is Colonel Mikel, a Federation mage.

I am a political commissar
and a lieutenant in the Federation Army.

I'm just a flunky, you could say.

I'll look up what "flunky" means
in Federation language later.

I'm Lieutenant Colonel Drake,
with the Allied Kingdom's 42nd Aerial.

We're glad to meet you,
Lieutenant Colonel Drake.

On behalf of the party,

I give my deepest thanks to
your unit's sacrifices and contributions.

I'm sure my fallen comrades
will appreciate that.

Um...

Are you a Federation Political Officer?

Lieutenant Sue?

I'm Lieutenant Mary Sue.

I've heard that political officers
give advice on aspects of military life.

You see, our unit's fallen
are buried in this land...

Lieutenant, we discussed this.

But they need to rest in their homeland!

Please, allow them to be
buried in their homelands.

Everyone cares for their homeland.

Right?

I know exactly how you feel!

If you'll let me, I'll help you
in any way I can!

R-Really?

Lieutenant Sue, may I call you Mary?

Of course!

Thank you.

Call me Liliya, too.

Would you please be my friend?

Yes, I'd love to.

I'll help you prepare the memorandum.

Yes, please do.

Your lieutenant friend works fast.

I'm sure you've got it tough, Colonel.

She's better than most, actually.

She is? You're joking.

It's impossible to believe she's one
of my country's political commissars.

Well...

I don't know what to say to that.

But it's not good news.

These harassment attacks
get worse by the day.

Why do the Federation soldiers go along
with all these reckless attacks?

What did the MP interrogators learn?

The prisoners all said the same things.

The sort of stuff you'd expect to hear
from any communist sympathizer.

I guess that's Commies for you.

It looks like their
"noble ideals" have spread

throughout every inch of their territory.

You really do hate communists, don't you?

I've been like that since my past life.

Um...

I read the reports too.

They all seem so identical,
and filled with prejudice.

What do you mean?

I interviewed several of them myself.

This is the report.

Come to think of it,

the lieutenant's family fled
the Federation during the revolution.

It's good to have a living speaker
of Federation language.

All of them except the political officers

expressed a sentiment of
estrangement from communism?

Yes.

More specifically, a lack of support
for their superior officers.

And it seemed like those voices
were absent from the final reports...

Officer, can I get a smoke?

I'm an aerial mage.
Regulations say I can't smoke.

Tobacco ruins the lungs.

No lighter then, either?

Correct. My apologies.

Major Weiss is an old hand at this.

Tell me... Why do you people—no.

Why do you fight?

Why do we fight? We fight
for ourselves, of course.

We're fighting for a better future.

A better future?

If we beat you, our society
will get a little better, right?

Let me ask a different question.

Why do you believe that fighting us
will make your society better?

Because you believe in communism?

I believe in it about as much as you do.

A very witty answer.

Listen, you're an idiot, right?

Is there anyone who doesn't
love their homeland?

Unconditionally.

Am I wrong?

Let me confirm. So you're fighting
for your homeland, then?

I heard that imperial soldiers were smart.

But you're no better than
the political commissars.

Listen, you...

We fight for our homeland.

Do you need a reason beyond that?

And if we can win
some glory for ourselves,

those f*ck in the party will
actually listen to us for once.

"Is there anyone who doesn't
love their homeland?"

That's what he said, right?

Yes. Exactly those words.

f*ck it all.

That explains why their morale's
so g*dd*mn high...

Lieutenant Colonel?

Don't you get it?

We thought we were fighting communists,

but we've been fighting nationalists!

If anything, the way we're doing
things now is making them stronger!

I'll put this in simple terms, sir.

We've k*lled too many of them.

I'm surprised to hear you say that.

I had thought a w*r like this one

would be decided by who built
the bigger pile of corpses.

You're correct.

But if we can defeat the enemy
with words, not b*ll*ts...

Words are far cheaper.

But that's gotten us nowhere.

We have saboteurs in the field conducting
anti-communist propaganda efforts.

And it's gotten us nowhere.

Let's change our methods, then.

Please throw ideological attacks
into the garbage can.

Excuse me?

Logic isn't what we need.

Sir, what's important is
the emotions of the masses.

Our propaganda efforts must
not demoralize the enemy.

Instead, we must work
to split them apart.

Our enemies aren't fighting
out of loyalty to the party.

They take up arms and
fight for their homeland.

Oh, the results of our
interrogations are here.

Our MPs came into this with
too many preconceived ideas.

I hate the damn Commies myself,

so I let myself be blinded, too.

It's not ideology that keeps our enemies
in the fight, but nationalism.

Which means we have to split the
communists apart from everyone else.

So we should "divide and conquer" in
regard to the Federation's nationalism?

No, "conquer" is something our military
no longer has the strength to do.

What we need is someone
we can outsource the work to.

A friend in need.

An interesting proposal.

But at my age, it's not easy
to make new friends.

But there's a famous diplomatic phrase.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Are you saying you have an idea
as to who this friend could be?

Of course.

National councils in the occupied
regions on the Eastern front are ideal.

If we work with them, we should be able

to decrease the number of guerrilla
attacks on the Eastern front.

Sir, it's possible for us
to make friends!

We lost another supply truck?

Yeah, it got attacked.

We'll have to drink water
to fill our bellies.

I heard someone on one of the patrols
died a suspicious death.

And a story about the well
being poisoned, too...

Help yourself.

What's wrong? What happened?

N-Nothing...

I'll say this just in case.

You are to strictly obey international
law when dealing with the locals.

Even if something happens,
deal with it appropriately.

E-Even now, we have to treat them
like we do when stationed back home?

I'll be honest. We're at our limit.

I understand how you feel, to a degree.

But soon, you'll have
nothing to worry about.

Now, on behalf of the Empire,

I, Lieutenant General Hans von Zettour,
will give a speech.

I say to all of you listening to this...

that we, the Empire, want one thing.

Peace.

I want peace for my homeland,
just as do you all.

Peace, peace, peace.

If it weren't for those
accursed communists,

would we have taken up arms?
Would you have?

We have simply taken up the sword
to defend our homeland.

We promise that when peace is achieved,

we will lay down our arms and
return to our beloved homeland.

We have no intention of
absorbing territories we occupy.

Our greatest desire is to co-exist
with independent peoples

who have their own territories
and governments!

Is there anyone who doesn't
love their homeland?

Is there anyone who
doesn't love their home?

We beg you...

As good friends,

like Horatius at the Bridge,

please allow us to walk alongside you!

Truly, a wonderful person
as an individual,

and a monster as part of an organization.

On behalf of the Empire,
I announce today...

that we will turn our military-controlled
areas over to civilian rule!

May light shine on
the future of the Reich,

and its good friends!

What a con artist.

I'm sure he's got a special room
waiting for him in hell.

To new friends!

To glorious cooperation
between our two armies!

We'd love to open a second front,

so that we can show the Empire
what good friends we are!

Of course. But our homeland is in
the midst of a vast air w*r...

Comrade Secretary, we have a problem!

The Empire... has joined forces!

They've joined forces with
the ethno-nationalists!

They've started the process of
creating temporary governments

and transferring power
within their territories!

The enemy of the world...

The Empire... has made friends!

Thanks to him, the Empire
may live to see another day.

Now, if only we had a friend who was
more useful at ending the w*r...

Oh, Lieutenant Colonel!

There was coffee on the resupply list!

What? Really?

Yes. The lowest grade
of the stuff, though.

I won't ask for much in
these circumstances!

Caffeine!

Mehr Licht, as they say.

Allow me to prepare you some coffee...

Black as the devil,
hot as hell, pure as an angel,

and sweet as love!

Thanks.

Thinking back, this was all thanks
to my talented second officer.

I've known her since
the battles of the Rhine,

but it feels presumptuous to
even call her a mere friend now.

Who else have I known that long?

Not you! f*ck you!

Lieutenant, what is that
damn doll doing here?

It was in a home we occupied.

I thought it was cute.

Throw it out!

Throw it out this instant!

They've set up national councils for
self-rule in Federation territory?

Our allies are big believers
in Raison d'État, I see.

I hope they're as willing to listen to us,
since we're their friends as well.

Um, why don't you attend
the prisoners' interrogations, too?

I'm surprised.

As long as you've been here,
you're still saying that?

Look at me.

Look at me!

They'll think I'm just a little kid!

Am I supposed to look up at them
during the whole interrogation?

It'll look like I'm a lost kid
at the police station!

A-Apologies!

I'll get a kid's high chair, then!

No!