Wings of Fire Ch. 05

Despite Stalin's brutal tactics, nothing was working and eventually, people stopped fearing him and the KGB. Even the soldiers themselves were turning against their commanders, and Soviet Russia was a powder keg that was ready to blow. Nationwide protests and widespread civil disobedience were at an all-time high, and nothing that Stalin was doing could stop it.

When Stalin's health deteriorated in nineteen fifty-three, the Prizrak saw their opportunity and took it. They redoubled their efforts, pushing for the people to rise up and fight. Despite Deputy Khrushchev's best efforts to suppress and assuage the populace, the people finally did as Baba Yaga had wanted; they fought back. With Stalin dying a few months later is when the Prizrak played the aces they kept hidden.

Baba Yaga revealed themselves to be none other than Crown Prince Alexei and Princess Anastasia Romanov. The Prizrak were their loyalist supporters, who were eager to see the end of communism. How she and her brother survived was quite a tale and one they were all too happy to tell.

When the Romanov family had been taken into custody by Lenin all those years ago, one of the soldiers, one Mikhail Kalastovic, fell in love with Anastasia. He didn't want to see her die, so, when he had a chance, he switched her and her brother with a couple of local urchins who he dressed in their clothes.

Once the family, as they were believed to be, were shot, Mikhail was among the guards who were dismissed and allowed to go back to their villages. While the Romanovs were angry that their family was dead, they were grateful to be alive. Anastasia knew this to be a marriage of convenience, but after spending enough time with Mikhail, she grew to love the man.

Alexei too, found love with a local village girl named Karina, and the Romanovs had a happy enough life. Sure, it wasn't what they grew up with, but they discovered a newfound appreciation for the simpler things in life. It was a simple, but happy existence, one which the Romanov children would enjoy. When Lenin died and Stalin came to power, was when everything began to change for the worse.

When people started disappearing for having differing opinions on the new leader, was when Anastasia felt she had to do something. Lenin was kind enough, as he saw to the needs of the people under his care. Stalin didn't truly care about the people, as he lacked the level of compassion and empathy needed for a proper leader. All he cared about was his own image and power.

Living as a peasant for the past thirty years had taught the siblings much about what their father, Tsar Nicholas the II, ignored. While the people had suffered under her father's rule, they were suffering worse under Stalin's. They could have incited the people to a rebellion, one which would have seen them take a bite out of Stalin's power base. But they knew that such actions were doomed to fail without a plan.

The plan they formulated was one in which would see Russia restored to prominence, not just for them, but for the people. They took the time to learn about world events and how things were happening outside of Russia. They learned and observed what the powers of the world did right, what they did wrong, and how to correct such mistakes. The Romanovs also learned how to give the people the things they wanted to ensure they had happy and peaceful lives.

Once the war was over was when they enacted their plan, doing everything possible to weaken the communist regime. It was a hard life, staying ahead of Stalin and the KGB, but now that he was dead, the Romanovs felt they could finally make their play. After publicly revealing themselves as who they truly were, they called the people to rise up and fight against the communists who had decimated their country and their people.

The Russian people were more than fed up with the communist way of life and their policies. They gladly threw in their lot with Anastasia and Alexei, and the Prizrak, the men and women they commanded, to topple the communist regime. Even the Bratva joined in on this cause, as they saw what the prince and princess were doing as something just.

Hearing of this, many soldiers, veterans, all of them, including the famed sniper Vasily Zaytsev, sided with the Romanovs. Once they had the support of the army, the second Russian revolution was launched. It was a short and bloody affair, which happened in December of nineteen fifty-three, which today was known as Black December. In the span of a month, the communist regime, and its leaders, were toppled.

Black December also saw the dissolution of the KGB, along with many other communist initiatives. The dismantling of the communist government was done almost overnight, with every unjust law they had created was struck down. Anastasia and Alexei had prepared for this day and had already drawn up a new set of laws which went into effect immediately.

With these new laws, much of what happened under the communist regime, which was outlawed, was to be punished and prosecuted to the fullest extent. This saw many of those who were guilty of robbery, extortion and murder try to flee the country. Some made it, while others were caught, tried and executed for their crimes. Some sued and pleaded for mercy and, in extenuating circumstances, it was granted.

Khrushchev and those like him, who had tried to turn Stalin in a different direction, were granted amnesty. The Romanovs knew that even though they were part of the losing side, that they had tried to help the people. With Stalin gone and most of his flunkies, dead, vanished or turned, the Romanovs put their focus onto Russia and its betterment.

While Alexei was the Crown Prince, unfortunately, nature was not kind to him, as he not only suffered from hemophilia, but he was also sterile. He and Karina had tried for years to have children of their own, to no avail. Because of his inability to make heirs, it was decided that Anastasia, not Alexei, would be the new ruler of the Russian Empire.

Unlike Alexei, Anastasia had been fruitful when it came to bearing children. She and Mikhail were quite amorous, even now in their fifties, and had no less than five children. First were the twins, Peter and Valentina, then the triplets, Konstantin, Nikola, and Andrea.

With Anastasia, the question of the royal bloodline persisting was answered. In a very public ceremony on January the second, Anastasia was crowned as Anastasia the I, Tsarina of the Russian Empire. Alexei, in a similar ceremony, would become a Grand Duke, always in support of his sister. The crowning of Tsarina Anastasia was easily as widely watched as the crowning of Queen Elizabeth the year previous.

Anastasia's husband, Mikhail, would become Prince regent and all her children would also assume royal titles. Many who had seen the broadcast couldn't deny just how beautiful Anastasia or her children truly were. Though she was well past fifty, her beauty made women across the world wish to age as gracefully as she did.

Her first act as Tsarina was to release all the political prisoners from the Gulags, allowing them to go home to their families. Those who had no one were given the ability to choose where they wanted to go and given a good deal of money to get a new start in life. The Gulags would still exist, but as prisons for the worst of the worst of offenders in the Russian Empire.

Most Soviet icons were torn down and melted, the metals used to help with rebuilding the homes of the people. Those of Lenin, however, were left alone, but also toned down to look and be more modest. Despite the man being one of the primary antagonists in unseating her father, and her entire family killed, she respected the man.

Lenin was a man who stuck to his ideals and took his charge of looking after the Russian people seriously. Some of the laws he had were already incorporated into the new sets of laws that she and Alexei had drawn up years ago. Though she did demand that the body of Lenin was taken down from display and given a proper burial. While it went against his wishes, leaving a lifelike version of Lenin up for everyone to see was too much.

In an unprecedented move, Anastasia invited Khrushchev to sit in the newly formed parliament. She didn't only want a different political perspective to foster healthy debate. Anastasia also wanted to provide checks and balances against anyone who might become too powerful, even her. Khrushchev was ecstatic and accepted immediately, happy to have the chance to set things right and to humanize communism. The good parts of it, at least.

With that set in motion, the Romanovs set about gaining access to their fortune. This was soon granted once it was confirmed they were who they said they were. Once they had it in hand, they would go on to spend most of it in fixing what was destroyed by the war. They also spent it on upgrading everything in Russia, so it was the equivalent to the modern world. Such as electricity, indoor plumbing, heat and medical care, to name a few.

Once the lives of all who lived in the Russian Empire were bettered, they then turned to restoring the power, prestige and icons of their own legacy. After crunching the numbers, the Romanovs understood that doing so was out of the question. Trying to restore the palaces and items of the monarchy would see them going broke in the worst possible way. So, they opted for a more moderate existence, until they had the money to restore what was lost.

When word got out about how the Romanovs had gone broke in helping the people, all of Russia mobilized to help them. From across the Empire, architects, tailors, woodcarvers, blacksmiths, machinists, mechanics, and jewelers came to help restore that which was lost. In the spirit of generosity, they offered their services to the royal family for free.

The Tsarina accepted, but she asked why they were offering all of this gratis. The response she got was that their Empress and the Royal Family was seen by the world as the best of their people. It would not do for the world as it stood to see the Royal Family as little more than beggars in rags. This gesture brought Anastasia to tears, and she thanked everyone who volunteered to help.

Because of the overwhelming amount of volunteers, it would take maybe five months before every palace and residence for those in the halls of power to be fully restored. As a gesture of their thanks, every volunteer was invited to a grand ball to be hosted at the winter palace. It was a graceful, yet also a raucous, celebration of what could be accomplished when everyone came together for a common cause.

With the wealth and prestige of the Romanov bloodlines restored, they joined the world stage again among those who ruled. Even today, people would continue to look at the Russian Empire much like they had with the Empire of the Rising Sun. As a place of high esteem and a beacon of light and hope.

James smiled as yawned and marked his place before he closed his book. He tucked it back into the nightstand drawer and checked the clock. It was well past midnight and James then killed the light and put his head on the pillow, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

******************************

Ernie Black Jr. was tossing and turning in his bed as he heard the sounds of passion through the wall of his quarters. His parents had been at it for the past hour, and he hadn't gotten any sleep by listening to them. Growling in frustration, Ernie scooted out of his bed, put some clothes on, and stepped out of his quarters.

He figured a pleasant walk through the ship would be good to help clear his head. He felt it would also allow his parents to finish up and let him get some sleep by the time he got back. Sighing in disgust as kids are wont to do with their parents, he moved along to the rear of the airship. Ernie passed a few of the night watchmen and acknowledged them as he passed by.

"Sr. and your ma at it again?" Tex asked as he walked by the boy.

"Yeah. You'd think they'd keep things down for Zhade's sake! They also seem to forget that I sleep right next door, so I can hear what they're talking about and what they're doing," Ernie Jr. groused.

"I know it ain't my place to say, but you should be thankful your folks are still that into each other. It bodes well for Zhade and their future grandkids. Hell, you should look at them as an example of how you would want your relationship to be when you find yourself a girl," Tex told the boy.

"Thanks for the life lesson," Jr. replied sarcastically.

"You're welcome! I only wish that my pops was like that with my ma. Things might have turned out better for them both had they learned to be like Ernie and Raeni," Tex sighed as he moved on with his duty.

Jr. turned to address the man, to apologize for his actions, but Tex was already gone, having turned down a corridor. The boy sighed and moved along, headed to the one spot that few people on the ship visited. When Ernie finally arrived, he looked around and saw that it was just him there and he grinned. This place that was rarely visited was the rear observation deck, which afforded him a picturesque view of the land behind the airship.

Back in wartimes, such a room was used to help with spotting any potential threats in the rear. Any airships that didn't have such a room were often downed as fighters and other attacking craft liked to hide in the rear below an airship. When Captain Greyheart had bought the ship, she had converted it into a lounge space for the crew to enjoy. With the addition of the sentry towers and various alarm sensors, rooms like this had become obsolete.

Jr. still liked to come here, as it gave him a sense of calm and peace in this day and age. He smiled at the landscape, darkened by the night sky, happy to have put the US behind them. Plonking himself down on one of the several couches that lined the area, the boy laid back and enjoyed the scenery. Ernie sighed in happiness about how he and his dad had finally gotten mom out of prison. He was even more happy that things were looking up for them.

With the gold that James had brought with him and traded to the captain in exchange for safe passage, it had changed their fate considerably! It not only would put them in a better state as a mercenary company, but it would ensure that they didn't have to take jobs from the US ever again! It saved them the embarrassment of working for them, and it also would keep their butts out of the fire from prosecution!

While they had been careful in executing their plan to break Raeni Black out of prison, there was always that bit of doubt. Maybe someone had seen them or recognized them, or something that would see them chased after. Ernie did worry, but ultimately breathed easier with them flying over Indigenous Lands now. At least now, his parents could be happy and they had Zhade.

The boy honestly couldn't be happier, and he smiled at how much things were changing. There was also the fact that he liked James, as the guy was a solid, stand up type. It had been a while since he had true friend and he looked forward to hanging with James as the weeks wore on. His mind then turned to the female companions that James had brought with him, and Ernie started getting hot under the collar.

Both Laura and Ottilia were gorgeous women, each one of them more than enough woman for a man to hold. He had seen and met Laura a couple of times since she started working in the galley. She was beautiful and had a look about her that screamed, 'I'm going to eat you up and we'll both enjoy it'.

The man chuckled to himself as he figured James was putting it to her, given by how they constantly exchanged glances that only lovers could share. This made Jr. wonder about Ottilia, who was one hell of a looker and made his heart beat like a drum. As far as he could tell, she wasn't with James or Laura, which made him wonder if she was open to seeing anyone.

"Magnificent view, isn't it?" a feminine voice called out from behind him. Ernie recognized that voice and he felt his heart beat a little faster as he turned his head to see if it was her. Sure enough, Ottilia Natale stood there in a modest floral pattern dress, staring out at the view as he was.

"Um... yeah! Yes, it is!" Jr. replied a little too quickly.

"Can't sleep?" she asked the man.

"Nah. You?"

"Nope! Way too excited!" Ottilia responded.

"Excited? What about?" Ernie queried.

"About this grand adventure I'm on! I never thought that I'd be free to make my own destiny!" the blonde woman enthused.

"It's the right of every human being, man, woman or whatever, white, black, yellow, red, to make their fates in the world, and to find their place within it. Without interference from anyone telling them what they should do or who they should be," Ernie stated with a smile.

"Si, si, si!! Do you mind if I join you?" she asked. Without missing a beat, Ernie gestured to the couch he was on, letting her know he didn't mind. Ottilia then sat almost right next to him, making him increasingly aware of her body, causing his loins to throb uncomfortably.

"So, you are... Ernest?" she asked him, turning those green eyes to look at him.

"Yes. My full name is Ernest Black Jr. But a lot of the guys here on the ship call me Ernie, like they do with my dad," he replied with a smile. "And you're Ottilia, right?"

"Ottilia Maeve Natale. My friends call me Ottie. I see you are speaking with James a lot?" she asked with a shy smile.

"Well, yeah. Considering that he and I have to be working together on repairing and refitting the fleet of fighters we have in the hangar," Ernie replied as he leaned forward.

"I assume boys talk about things, as girls often do. Has he told you the story of how we got here?" Ottilia wondered.

"He told me his story, but not yours or Laura's," the man told the woman next to him.

"Oh? Why has he not?" the blonde woman wondered.

"He said that your story, or Laura's, wasn't his to tell. That if you wanted them told, you'd tell them yourself, to the people you want to tell," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Ah! I... see. It is a sensible stance to have with the affairs of others," Ottilia remarked, smiling at James' thoughtfulness.

"I will admit, though, hearing your story on how you got here would be something I'd like to listen to," Ernie ventured, praying and hoping that he wasn't overstepping himself.

"You wish to hear my story?" she asked, a little taken aback that this handsome man wanted to get to know her. His blue eyes locked onto her green ones and he smiled, leaning forward eagerly, making her melt inside. She took a deep breath and steadied herself before she started speaking.

Ottilia told Jr. everything that had happened, with Paulo, her family, being confined to the looney bin, her escape, everything. Ernie was a captive audience and was horrified that Ottilia went through all of that! When she was done, Ottilia was smiling, but in tears for losing so much at the end of it. Throwing all caution to the wind, Jr. closed the gap between them and hugged her close.

"Is this OK? I know it's a little sudden, but you looked like you could use a hug," Ernie told the woman.

"It's more than OK," Ottilia sobbed as she hugged him back. "It's what I've needed for a long time!"

"Shh, shh, shh. It's OK, I'm here for you," Ernie soothed, making soothing, shushing noises to help calm Ottilia down. Soon enough, her breathing evened out, slowly becoming more regular. The pair of them sat like that, with Ottilia burrowed into Jr.'s chest, a fact he was made well aware of with her soft body pressing into his.

"What about you?" Ottilia asked an indeterminate amount of time later.

"Hmm?"

"What's your story?" Ottilia wondered as she pulled away a little so she could look up into Jr.'s face.