13:28, Control Room, Greater Horde Command Centre, a good 100km west of Wiel, Principality of Vanuku
"Can it be done?" asked the elder man, moving awkwardly in his chair while awaiting the answer with a nervous expression. General Wilhelmsrko held the paper in his left hand and adjusted his reading glasses with his right. "Insanity, Heijtri, this is insanity." The elder politician sighed deeply. "I know it is insane, General, but can it be done?" The Chief of Staff took off the spectacles and rubbed his short beard. "Maybe. But we'll need at least double the funding and extra training everywhere, seven days a week for every damn year we have left." He strode to the end of the table and lowered himself in his chair. "You assure the funding we need, I'll do whatever I can." The elder politican nodded, "His Grace will be most pleased.", grabbed his suitcase and stood up. "His Grace is on a slippery slope, Heijtri, the international community wont tolerate this." The politician shrugged. "I am merely the messenger, General." After which he left the Control Room leaving the General alone with his thoughts. Pontesi and Barmenia were stable, steadily rising internally, Jelbania was in shambles but the She-Wolf seemed to be cleaning up, Vanuku itself had been slacking here and there.. An invasion in 3800 was and would be the biggest gamble the Khagan had ever made in his life. It just didn't feel right in the General's gut. Still, the Khagan demanded he would forge 'the Greatest Horde that ever roamed' and the General would do his duty until the bitter end.
16:50, SSA headquarters, Wiel, Principality of Vanuku.
The young officer double-checked every letter in the report on his desk. The contents were worrying to say the least. He had overheard some senior officers two days ago talking about how unhappy the Khagan supposedly was with the 'She-Wolf of Jelbania'. If this report turned out to be true, he would be a load more unhappy. He sighed deeply and stamped the document, standing up and taking it with him to his commanding officer, Colonel Visscher. The old man with his magnificent curled and grey moustache studied the document carefully with squinted eyes, much like he had done not twenty minutes ago. "And they are positive on the identity of this Kalopian?" the old man finally asked, breaking the silence. "Yes Colonel, they are confident he is a part of the Eilomax Company." The Colonel closed the document. "Well, my boy, that would mean the She-Wolf and the slavers are in cahoots." His piercing blue eyes turned to the side for a moment, pondering, before snapping back to the young officer. "Forget all about this, if anyone below my rank asks; you have never seen this. Dismissed." The young officer nodded and turned out of the office, empty-handed. Why would they ignore this? If she was working with the slavers and they knew.. why not act? He then shook his head vigorously. I must forget, for the fatherland.