"You've figured out how to use Degurechaff to her full potential," Romel continued. Something must have gone much differently than planned if he was getting unsolicited praise from one of the army's toughest commanders.
Lehrgen began to dread the rest of the conversation. "Congratulations, Colonel," came through the line. With a low chance of anything besides a minor skirmish, there had seemed no safer time to send an observation party. The summer months in the desert tended to see the least amount of action, and thus very little cause for celebration. Romel was probably calling to complain about how useless his favorite feral pet was now that she had to play nice for diplomacy's sake.Īs soon as Lehrgen picked up the receiver, Romel's uncharacteristically festive mood engendered an ominous feeling in his gut. There were no battles planned, simply some audacious training maneuvers that would give the Ildoans something to be amazed by. It was imperative to convince Ildoa of their proposed ally's strength, and he could think of no unit that exuded an air of invincibility the way that hers did. Lehrgen had tasked Degurechaff with showing it to them. Negotiations were finally closing with the Ildoans, but before they signed off on anything, they wanted a first-hand look at the situation. Lehrgen got along fine with him so far as they knew each other, but that didn't mean Romel wouldn't give him an earful.ĭegurechaff had been sent down to join the lieutenant general on the Southern Continent some two weeks prior. He was a man with little patience and less tact. Romel was known for many things, but an easygoing nature was not one of them. In fact, the conversation was liable to be downright unpleasant. So, when his own adjutant came to inform him that Lieutenant General von Romel was on the line, Colonel von Lehrgen already knew it wasn't to share good tidings. Bad news, on the other hand, would wait until you picked up the phone to let you know what it was. But somehow, good news was always shouted down the hall or brought by an adjutant. It might seem like a statistical impossibility in a nation that had successfully waged war for over four years, a country which now occupied so much enemy territory it had practically doubled in size. If there was one thing that every officer above the rank of major on the General Staff could agree on, it was that unexpected phone calls never brought good news. General Staff Office, Imperial Capital Berun