Tyranny of Steel

While Berengar was making preparations for his armies to invade the Northern German States, should it become necessary, Linde's vast network of spies, assassins, and saboteurs was already behind enemy lines fanning the flames of war. Currently, an agent of the Austrian Crown was undercover in Luxembourg, in a local tavern where a group of disgruntled peasants were gathered. 

The spy was clothed in a hooded cloak and stood at the back of the gathering, leaning against the wall listening in silence as he sipped the watered down beer that was served in these feudal realms. After drinking high quality alcohol produced in alcohol for so long, this swill was simply piss water in the agent's eyes.

Nevertheless, he needed to maintain the appearance of a lone traveler, and thus he continued to drink from the poor beverage as he watched a man preach to the local citizens about the need to rise against their sovereign. 

A large bald man with callouses on his hands and a blacksmith's apron boldly took the stand in the tavern to declare his beliefs to those who paid patronage to the establishment. With each passing word, he worked up the local peasantry into a state of fury. 

"The Bastard of Luxembourg, who proclaims himself to be our rightful sovereign, has without provocation attacked the royal family of Austria. In doing so he has failed to eliminate the target of his ire, and instead gravely wounded the innocent princess of our neighbor's realm. 

This is the same Royal Family of Austria that has opened their doors to citizens of our realm, and the other German states when the war for the German Crown was at its fiercest. Many of you have siblings and cousins who have moved to the Southern Kingdom and prosper beyond measure. 

Some of you are still alive because those same family members have sent back silver and gold to help support your families. Not only has Austria shown its benevolence towards us, the common people of the German States, but they are also the homeland of the German Reformation. 

Most of us here are diehard reformists, and yet our Duke has spilled blood in the holy city of Kufstein! Are we supposed to stand by and allow him to invoke a conflict with our own brothers, sisters, and cousins? Are we supposed to march to our deaths against the most powerful Army in Christendom? For what reason, because the Bastard of Luxembourg seeks to establish himself as King over us all?

Tell me, why should we follow a man who seeks to appease the corruptions of the Catholic Church? A Church which is responsible for expelling all the German Cardinals! Why should we kneel before a man who seeks to oppress the common people, wishes to force us to fight against a Kingdom of honor and nobility whose only goal is to unite the German people, and uplift us commoners to a better state of living? 

Do any of you desire to spill the blood of your families who have long since immigrated to Austria, and helped build that Kingdom to its current state of prosperity? Or be killed by your kin as a response to our duke's actions?"

<br/>When the man said asked this question, the crowd of surly drunks immediately jeered in response.

"Fuck no!"

"Down with the Duke!"

"To hell with the von Luxembourgs and their bastard!"

The entire room was filled with angry shouts as the men and women gathered, vented their anger in the open. When the Agent standing in the corner heard this, a smile curved upon his lips. Now was the time to present himself to these enraged masses.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'll have you know that I have a solution to your problems!"

When the agent spoke these words, all eyes shifted onto him. Not a single soul uttered a word as they waited for this man to finish voicing his intent.

"I represent the Crown of Austria, and our benevolent monarch understands your plight, and knows full well that the people aren't his enemy. Rather than send an army into your lands, and risk killing the common people who were drafted into a suicide unit by their sovereign, he has decided to give you all the options to overthrow your wicked Duke. 

I come bearing gifts! Weapons and munitions straight from the Austrian arsenals. Enough to make the bastard of Luxembourg tuck tail, and run in fear for his life. It is all free, of course; you need only take your destiny into your own hands and march against the Duke. The only other alternative is an outright Austrian invasion. The choice is up to you, the people of Germany!"

The people listened to every word that the Austrian Agent said with equal parts respect and trepidation. It was one thing to speak of treason in the confines of a tavern while drunk, but to actually be given the opportunity to rise against their sovereign, such a thing required a different breed of drunk. Ultimately, one man rose from the crowd and questioned the Austrian Agent. 

"If you will provide arms, does that also mean you will provide the training and tactics to defeat the Duke and his armies?"

The Austrian agent silently nodded his head as he took a swig from his beer mug before responding to the question.

"Of course, we already have operators embedded within the Northern German States training local militias to fight against the lords who oppose the people's will. Swear your allegiance to the Austrian Crown, and I promise you, that you will all be well trained and equipped to eliminate your enemies."

There was a moment of hesitation in the hearts and minds of those gathered. If they truly swore allegiance to Austria and rose against the Duke, then bloodshed could no longer be avoided. However, if what the agent said was true, and Austria was preparing to invade the North, they knew it would be far more bloody to stand in their way. Thus, the man who asked about training was the first to kneel before the Agent and profess his loyalty to the Austrian Crown.

"I will fight for Berengar!"

After saying this, he pulled out a knife and cut his hand, spilling his sanguine liquid onto the floor and declaring a blood oath for all to bear witness. After he had said this; one by one, the people gathered within the tavern kneeled before the agent, and swore their allegiance to the King of Austria. 

The Agent merely finished his drink in silence. After doing so, he placed the mug on the bar counter and addressed the crowd once more.

"Come, we have much work to do, and little time to do it. In a matter of weeks, my operators will make you an efficient fighting force capable of contending against your former masters."

After saying this, the agent departed from the tavern, and so too did the men and woman who had sworn loyalty. The man representing the interests of the Austrian Crown led them to a secluded area in the woods where a cabin lay in wait.

Gathered outside the cabin were several men dressed in blumentarn uniforms. These were Austria's Jagdkommandos, who had deployed to the Northern States ahead of the Austrian invasion to train the common people into a guerilla rebel force. 

The man in charge of this unit gazed upon the peasant rabble and sneered in disdain before making a speech to the gathered masses.

"Over the next few weeks, my soldiers and I will make you the most efficient fighting force that you can be. After you have completed your training, you will begin conducting guerilla operations throughout this sector. Infiltration, sabotage, assassination, and ambush are your goals. 

Our agents will provide intelligence on your objectives. As for the man who brought you all here, you may call him Agent Shadow. He will be your liaison to Austrian Royal Intelligence. You do not need to know any of our identities, and will simply refer to us by code names. Is that understood?"

After saying this, the group of volunteers nodded their heads in unison before the Jagdkommando in charge dispatched their orders.

"Alright, you may refer to me as Sarge, and I will be responsible for your training. Go gather your equipment. We will be begin basic firearms training immediately!"

Having received their orders, these rebellious recruits did as instructed, this was just one of many guerilla groups that Austria was supporting behind the scenes across all of Northern Germany. As for Austrian Royal Intelligence, the department of Covert Operations was busy with two primary objectives: aid the rebels in Northern Germany, and recruit the local nobility to their cause. 

After all, if Berengar wanted to conquer Northern Germany with the least resistance, then he needed not only the support of the common people, but that of the lower nobility as well. Thus, while Agent Shadow and his Jagdkommandos were busy training a group of Rebels, other agents of the Crown had been dispatched to the Castles of the nobility to gain their support.