Tyranny of Steel

The Journey to the German naval base in Singapore was a lengthy one. Because the ship was only a corvette, its range was vastly inferior to some of the other larger warships which saw service within the Kriegsmarine. As a result, the vessel was forced to stop within the Anangpur Empire to refuel, before finally making their way to the Malacca strait. 

Upon arriving at his destination, Berengar said a brief farewell to his wife Honoria before departing from the vessel and entering the military base in Singapore. The moment he stepped onto the docks, he found that the admiral who had been tasked with overseeing the daily operations of the Naval base was there to greet him. A wide grin formed on Berengar's face as he approached the man who had saluted him. 

"Admiral Nolthe Schriber, it is a pleasure to see you again. I trust you have been well over these past few years?"

The Admiral had a tan complexion, and was dressed in a short sleeve navy blue cotton uniform that was designed for use in the tropics. He wore a pair of sunglasses and had an officer's cap on his head. It was clear that the environment had affected his appearance, as he was utterly lacking the fine porcelain skin that was common among those who dwelled in the alps. Despite this, the man smiled and nodded his head before responding to his Kaiser's question.

"Of course, my Kaiser. I must say, I very much enjoy the environment here. However, I doubt you came all the way here to speak to me about such simple matters. So tell me, how can I assist you?"

Berengar gazed across the Malacca strait for several moments in silence. It was clear that his attention was elsewhere. Though what his exact thoughts were, only he truly knew. After several moments of silence, he gave the Admiral an order, one he could not refuse. 

"You are correct in your assumption. I came all this way for a diplomatic visit to the Majapahit Empire. I need a ferry and an escort. Prepare your fastest craft, and a squad of your finest Kampfschwimmers. I want to depart within the hour!'

Admiral Schriber had heard rumors that the Kaiser had taken the Majapahit Princess as a concubine, but he never dared to believe them until now. It was clear by Berengar's appearance that he was a bit anxious about this meeting, something the man would not normally express if this were a mere diplomatic visit to a primitive realm. However, Nolthe did not speak of these matters, knowing better than to pry into the Kaiser's private life, and instead nodded his head before accepting his orders.

"As you command, my Kaiser. I will prepare your team to depart within the hour, as you have requested." 

After saying this, Admiral Schriber sent off a runner to get these things in order, while he showed Berengar around the Naval/Air base that had been established in Singapore. As the closest area to the zone of conflict, that was sure to occur within the future. The Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe had invested ample amounts of time, resources, and manpower into the region.

Well over 1,000 aircraft were stationed in the airbase, along with their crewman, making it the largest Air Base in the world. This was excluding the aircraft which were stationed aboard the Carrier. As for the vessels that were within the area, the Sixth Fleet called Singapore its home, while various destroyers, corvettes, u-boats, and fast attack craft protected the Malacca strait. 

There were also special operations units attached to the Naval Base. These were not, however, the infamous Jagdkommandos, but were instead known as Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine, or KSM for short. They were also called Kampfschwimmers.

This Naval Special Forces unit was modelled after the US Navy SEALs from Berengar's past life and were primarily active in Asia, hence why a large number of them were concentrated on the Singapore Naval Base. 

Those who became Kampfschwimmers were recruited from the ranks of the Naval Infantry, also known as the Marines. They then went through a three-year pipeline to become special warfare operators. The intense training had a 99% attrition rate, meaning one in one hundred men would succeed in becoming Kampfschwimmers. 

As promised, within the hour the ship was prepared, along with the escort of Kampfschwimmers. Who all saluted their Kaiser as they gazed upon him. These special warfare operators were not dressed in the usual uniforms that the soldiers of the reich wore. 

Rather, they were dressed in what could approximately be described as a gorka mountain suit that was dyed in the blumentarn camouflaged pattern. Over this, they wore plate carriers in the style of the classic Defender 2, which were feldgrau in color. The load bearing equipment they utilized was loosely modelled after the SPOSN SMERSH and matched the plate carrier in color. 

Atop their heads were feldgrau m56/76 Stahlhelms, which had feldgrau netting over them. Their boots were modern in design, as were their gloves, which were both feldgrau in color. The weapons that these special operators carried were not the usual Stg-27s, which saw standard service among the German Military. Instead, they were a copy of the infamous Stg-44 from the second world war of Berengar's past life. 

This was the new equipment issued to the special operations units within the Reich's military. Such as the Jaegers, Jagdkommandos, and the Kampfschwimmers. Berengar gazed upon their advance equipment and nodded his head in approval before giving the order to move out.

"Time waits for no man. Let's depart!"

After saying this, the operators boarded the fast attack craft, which would carry Berengar across the Malacca strait, and towards the heart of the Majapahit Empire, where the King and Princess were awaiting his visit. 

Some time passed as Berengar enjoyed the journey before arriving in the Majapahit port city, where they took a convoy was already prepared for the Kaiser's arrival. After arriving on the docks, Berengar, along with his escort, quickly entered the vehicles that were provided for him, where they slowly but surely made their way to the Majapahit Palace. 

The moment Berengar stepped out of the carriage and into the courtyard, he saw Princess Anggraini rush out to meet him. She had in her arms a small child who was no older than two. It was apparent by this boy's features that he was half-European.

Obviously, this was Berengar's child, causing the man to smile fervently upon witnessing the sight of his son. Berengar hugged the Majapahit Princess as they reunited into each other's arms, before kissing his son on the forehead. After doing so, he was quick to inquire about the boy's name.

"I presume this is my son. What have you named him?"

Anggraini gazed upon Berengar's handsome face for some time. The last time they met, he still wore an eyepatch. Yet, for whatever reason, he now had a pair of mismatched irises. The very sight of which caused her heart to flutter. It took the woman a few seconds to calm down before announcing her son's name to the boy's father.

"His name is Darma, and yes, he is your son. Is that all you have to say to me? You don't know how much I missed you..."

Berengar nodded his head in approval when he heard this. At the very least, it was a name he could pronounce, unlike whatever the hell Tlexictli had named their son. Berengar could tell the half German half Indonesian child would grow up to become a handsome man, and thus he felt nothing other than pride when gazing upon such a young son. 

Part of the reason he had come to the Majaphit Empire was to see the son he had never met, and now that he saw the boy, he was satisfied. After reuniting with his concubine, and their child Berengar felt at ease, which caused him to take charge of the situation as he led the mother and child into her home.

"Yes, yes, I missed you, too. However, I have not come all this way just to see my child. There are important matters to discuss, so let us go meet with your father. I have many words which I wish to speak to him..."

Anggraini did not refuse, even though she was a bit aggrieved by how little emphasis Berengar seemed to put on their reunion. She quickly followed her man into the palace where her father was resting. The Majapahit princess had no idea what Berengar wanted to say, but she could make an educated guess. It most likely revolved around the threat of the Japanese Empire, and for this, she was worried about what her father might say. 

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