Tyranny of Steel

Hemma stood outside the headquarters of royal intelligence. In her hands was a cigarette, not of the hemp variety that had become widespread among the Kingdom of Germany ’s army, but instead it was a tobacco cigarette. Such things were a luxury as tobacco was currently only being grown in the colony of New Vienna, and shipments to the fatherland were in limited quantity.

The women pressed her luscious pink lips against the edge before taking a long draft, taking the smoke in through her lungs before exhaling heavily. The rush of nicotine was something that kept her mind stable. After all, as the Deputy Director of German Imperial Intelligence, she had a very stressful job.

With Linde gone, away in the new world on her honeymoon, more and more work had piled up on the Deputy Director ’s plate, so much so that she wondered how it was even possible for one woman to do all the work that her superior handled daily.

After finishing the cigarette, Hemma looked at her watch and scowled. It was time to get back to work. Thus, she flicked the cigarette to the floor and stamped out the embers before walking back into the headquarters. The moment she entered the doorway, the sentries who were dressed in military-style uniforms saluted her as she passed by.

After entering the third floor of the building through a spiral staircase, the woman charged directly to her destination, which was the conference room where the other heads of various departments were currently gathered, speaking about a certain counter-espionage operation that was ongoing.

The moment she pressed open the twin doors, the agents gathered quickly silenced themselves before jumping to an attention and saluting their superior. A woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail was quick to greet Hemma and pay her respects.

”Deputy Director, we were not expecting your visit, but it is a great honor! ”

Hemma merely took a seat and tapped her armrest as she scolded the woman for her remarks.