Heimerich von Graz sat in the Royal Palace of Granada, which the Field Marshall of the Imperial German Army, Adelbrand von Salzburg, currently resided. The two of them were in an office, staring at each other with differing expressions. Adelbrand had a grim look on his face, while Heimerich's appearance was smug and confident. The two Field Marshalls glared at each other in silence for several moments before Adelbrand spoke up.
"Repeat what you just said to me!"
Heimerich sipped on a teacup which was filled with coffee before he gently placed it down on a saucer while repeating the words he had just spoken moments before.
"The Kaiser fears this war is taking too long, and is consuming far too many resources. Though your soldiers have done their best to remove the threat, he has decided that a more ruthless approach is necessary to crush the spirits of the Iberian Catholics. In the following days, me and my Reichsgarde shall march on Madrid, where we will unleash a barrage of chemical shells onto the city, annihilating all of its inhabitants in the process.
This is not up for negotiation, Adelbrand. I have my orders, and they are to compel you to listen to the Kaiser's commands. I know you have spent more time here in Iberia than you have back in the Fatherland. However, your concern for the lives of these people has clouded your judgement.
The Moors love you. It is through your actions and those of the Kaiser that Iberia was united under their banner. However, you have been tasked with bringing an end to this rebellion, and despise those orders, the situation here only seems to be getting worse. It is because the Moors love you that the Kaiser has asked me to unleash this ruthless assault on the city of Madrid. After all, he wouldn't want to stain your reputation.
I assure you, I will annihilate this rebellion even if I have to burn a couple million Catholics in the process. After all, from the moment I was given the position of Field Marshall of the Reichsgarde, it was made very clear to me that I would be tasked with the dirty work that the regular Army could not be caught engaging in. I just need you to clear your soldiers out of Madrid. After you have done that, we can begin our attack."
Adelbrand sighed heavily when he heard this. He tapped his fingers on the desk repeatedly. This attack would ensure a monumental loss of life. However, orders were orders, and he would not dare disobey the Kaiser, especially when he was so close to gaining Eckhard's old position. Thus, he could only sigh in defeat as he nodded his head in acceptance of his orders.
"Very well. I shall dispatch word to the garrison in Madrid, informing them to withdraw from the city and return to Granada. Is there anything else I can help you with before you begin the attack?"
Heimerich's lips curled into a smile as he heard Adelbrand's question. He indeed had further orders for the man and because of this, he quickly pulled out a briefcase that he had brought with him for this meeting and opened it. Revealing several classified documents as he did so.
"The Kaiser believes it is time for an Iberian Reformation. This is a coordinated effort put together by the Departments of Propaganda and Intelligence to spin these terrorist attacks that have taken place as a way to justify our actions, and demonize the Papacy. His Majesty wants you to lead the effort to kick-start this reformation, so that peace and unity can be achieved between the Iberian Christians and the Moorish Muslims."
Adelbrand looked over the documents for several moments before nodding his head and expressing his agreement with his orders.
"Very well. I will begin to enact the Kaiser's will at once. Though it may not be immediate, within the next few years, I guarantee an Iberian Reformation will take place."
Heimerich nodded his head after hearing this. Now that business was out of the way, he intended to ask Adelbrand's personal opinion about the war at large.
"Off the Record, how goes things? I've heard rumors from soldiers on leave that the cities with a catholic majority have turned into a meat grinder..."
Adelbrand sighed. He would not answer this question without a stiff drink. Because of this, he pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. He poured the amber liquid into the two containers and handed one off to Heimerich before downing the alcohol as if it were a shot of water. After doing this, he poured two more shots for himself and drank them in the same way. Once he was properly intoxicated, he let his lips loose.
"Off the record? The situation in Iberia is an unmitigated cluster fuck! The Iberian rebels use hit-and-run tactics to ambush our soldiers, where they proceed to scavenge their weapons, and then use them in even greater attacks. I have no idea how many grenades, and G-22s, are in the hands of the enemy, but it's enough to cause me a fucking headache.
You have these bastards brainwashing their kids into suicide attacks with grenades. It is impossible to know when you kick down a door if a child is neutral or hostile. Because of this, there have been more than a few mishaps where a crying child was gunned down by our soldiers, who feared they were hiding a grenade.
This has only increased the animosity among the Catholics, causing our soldiers to become Paranoid. I've equipped and trained the Andalusian Army to take the front lines, but no matter what I do, they still rely on the support of our soldiers.
I understand why the Kaiser has ordered this attack, but I am telling you right now, it will only harden the resolve of the Catholics. They will continue their attacks until the Moors and Germans are removed from these lands."
When Heimerich heard this, he scoffed before taking another shot. Adelbrand noticed the expression on his face and immediately questioned the man.
"What? Do you honestly believe you can do better?"
In response to this, Heimerich downed yet another shot before boasting of his abilities.
"It's a good thing his Majesty called me in to deal with this damned rebellion. You are clearly not prepared to undertake the measures necessary to eliminate the enemy. It's very simple, Adelbrand. If they continue to rise against my Reichsgarde after I have gassed Madrid, then I will go from town to town, city to city, taking ten heads for every one rebel.
If the Catholic people of Iberia continue to support the rebellion after I conducted my raids, then I will obliterate entire towns. I will continue this slaughter until either Catholics lose the will to fight or are entirely annihilated. That is how you defeat a rebellion, and that is why the Kaiser has dispatched me to the Iberian theatre."
Adelbrand sat in disbelief as he heard this. He could not help but question the sanity of Heimerich as he heard the man so boldly announce his plan of mass murder. He instantly voiced his objection to this plot.
"But, that's murder! You would kill so many innocent people just to break the rebel's spirit?"
Once more, Heimerich scoffed when he heard the naivety of Adelbrand, and because of this, he continued his lecture.
"Innocent? Hardly... It is clear that the Rebellion is receiving support from what you would call ordinary civilians. Because these civilians are supporting the enemy with resources and intelligence, they need to learn that they will be held accountable for the actions of the rebels. If the people do not turn against these terrorists, then they will pay the price with their lives.
Every time we wipe out a village, our propaganda declares that they were supporting the rebels. Eventually, people will get the message, turn in the rebels, or you and your families will suffer. We will see whose spirit breaks first.
I assure you, so long as I am here as a representative of the Kaiser's will, the fighting spirit of the German people shall never falter. We will be victorious, whether that means the complete and total annihilation of the Iberian Catholic population, or their total surrender. However, defeat is not an option!"
Adelbrand could hardly believe that such a madman was in charge of the Reichsgarde, or that the Kaiser had sent him to Iberia, knowing he would take such extreme actions to end the rebellion. He could not fathom why Berengar was so obsessed with ending the war in Iberia as soon as possible.
Heimerich, on the other hand, was confident in total victory. He did not care how many lives had to be lost in the process. In the end, the Iberian Catholics would either be annihilated, or would capitulate to the rule of their Moorish masters. Either way, victory was assured now that he, and fifty thousand of his Reichsgarde had entered the war.
