St. Petersburg, Ruthenia Empire. At the Winter Palace.
Alexander was on the call with someone on the telephone.
"Your Majesty, we have good news. The Navstar satellites that we have been working on since you proposed it is good for launch this April. There will be a total of five satellite launches in that month all across our spaceports."
"Hoh?" Alexander sang, "That's good then. I've been waiting for the report about the development of Navstar. Not to mention, five satellites! That's an incredible number, I'm assuming that you and your team have been working hard perfecting the craft."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Our team has been working tirelessly to make your vision in space be realized. But Your Majesty, if I may ask, we need 24 satellites orbiting the earth to make full use of the global positioning system capabilities to be utilized by our military, is five satellites going to make a difference in the field of navigation?" Wegener raised a question.
"Five satellites is large enough to cover an entire continent according to my calculations," Alexander said and continued. "Though there will be some gaps and delays as the satellite must orbit above the receiver to use the system."
"I see," Wegener hummed in understanding. "In that case, Your Majesty, I should inform you about our future launches. As of 1929, there will only be five satellites launch in total. And every other year we are planning to launch one or two satellites until we reach twenty-four. So the Navstar project, if faced with no delays whatsoever, will end in 1945 to 1950."
"Very well, I like the timeline. Is there anything else that you wish to report while I'm not preoccupied with something?" Alexander asked.
"That's all for the day, Your Majesty. But I'll inform you if something comes up on my side. Now, I'll be putting the phone down, Your Majesty. I'm sure as an Emperor of the Ruthenia Empire, you have a lot of work to deal with."
Alexander chuckled, "I agree. You should return to your work as well. Goodbye."
He returned the telephone back to its cradle before leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms out while letting out a long satisfied groan. He closed his eyes and listened to the silence of the room, relaxing as he slowly opened them again after feeling slightly more tired than when he first fell asleep.
A ring of the telephone interrupted him from the peaceful silence, startling him awake and giving him a mild headache. Alexander grabbed the ringing phone and wedged it between his cheek and shoulder, answering, "What now?"
"Your Majesty, you need to come down to the Command Ops, right now."
The voice belonged to Sevastian. Alexander leaned over after hearing his urgent voice.
"What the hell just happened now? Did something break out in the International Legation Quarter?"
"I'll explain to you sir once you are in the Command Ops," Sevastian replied.
"Alright then…" Alexander groaned inwardly, feeling tired to even get up. But it sounded urgent so he had to drag himself up and make his way down to the command center. "I'll be there in five minutes." And he hung up the phone.
The General Staff Building is only a walking distance from the Winter Palace. After all, the building is literally across it.
Alexander arrived at the time he had given Sevastian. As usual, the military and civilian staffers in the Command Ops stood in attention.
"At ease," Alexander ordered and everyone sat down in their seats. "You pulled me out of my office due to your urgent tone, so this better is worth it than me fighting the laziness taking hold of me the time you called."
"You surely jest, Your Majesty," Sevastian chuckled and continued. "Anyways, we are evacuating the staff of the Ruthenian Empire and the Francois Republic as we speak."
"Ruthenian Empire and the Francois Republic?" Alexander repeated as he tilted his head to the side. Why are there only two countries mentioned? "What happened to the rest?"
"You have noticed it, Your Majesty. The problem is that the other great powers reneged their decision of evacuating themselves," Sevastian revealed.
"You have got to be kidding me," Alexander rubbed his temples. It was quite unexpected for them to go back on their word and the idea of him where the other countries will give credit to the Ruthenia Empire, as well as the military who partake in the operation, gone to waste.
"They must have a reason as to why they reneged, right?" Alexander arched an eyebrow.
"Yes Your Majesty, the reason is quite simple yet extremely frustrating. The nine great powers stayed because we had mopped the Boxers attacking the International Legation Quarter. Now there's no enemy outside the gates, then there's no reason for them to go. Not to mention, the Britannian Empire military is marching towards the Legation Quarter and will arrive in four days."
Alexander was silent for a brief moment and the moment it passed, he laughed.
He continued laughing to the point the civilian and military staffers looked at him concerningly.
"I can't believe this, we have been fooled! Hahaha…" Alexander started shaking his head while chuckling uncontrollably.
Everyone was silent, not wanting to break the ice as it seems. They were used to the usual calm demeanor from their emperor but the man in front of them seemed to have lost it completely.
Sevastian waited patiently for the laugh to end and when it did, he spoke up, "You couldn't have worded it too better, Your Majesty."
"Sevastian…I'm really in a bad mood right now," Alexander's tone changed and his face twisted into a grimace. "Those fuckers used the fact that we won't let any Ruthenian die at the hands of the Boxers and when the Boxers refused our terms, they knew the Ruthenia is going to respond accordingly. And to think that after we did that, we have actually done them a favor. Now that there's no enemy at the gates, they can stay at the International Legation Quarter and lobby whoever factions they are going to support, most likely the legitimate government themselves, thus gaining concessions."
"They made a fool out of us, Your Majesty. It's an affront to you and to the Empire."
"Well, we couldn't blame them. But I don't think they are going to celebrate that things have calmed down. The civil war is still going on hot. I don't think that they are only Boxers who intend to pay a visit to the International Legation Quarter."
Sevastian's lips curled into a smile. "Your Majesty, another thing to report. Our surveillance aircraft found a brigade-sized infantry moving towards the International Legation Quarter."
The LCD screen mounted on the wall showed a map which Alexander glanced at it.
"Oh..." Alexander giggled, "Are they Boxers?"
"One hundred percent, Your Majesty."
Alexander chortled. "This is getting interesting. They decided to stay thinking that there would be no second wave, though I'm sure they have already presumed it. But still, this...," he laughed for a second before changing the tone of his voice, "Well well. I think every decision has consequences, am I right? Don't inform anyone from the Great Powers about this. This should teach them," he commanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty,"
