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A small black dot was separated from the cruiser "Comintern" and accelerated toward the base Ronneburg. The shuttle received permission to dock and a massive gate opened, like a beast ready to swallow its prey. After the shuttle had docked, it's hatch opened and a man in a Red Hessian officer unform climbed out. His thick, curly, once black, but now shining with silver hair was slightly tousled. With a tenacious gaze, his colorless eyes examined the landing area and, after not finding a single familiar face, the man approached a nearby security guard at the small dock's exit. The soldier was ready to report the captain's arrival, but was stopped by the officer's gesture.

- Where can I find Leonid Trotzky?
- He is in the hospital right now, Herr Kapitaen! - the guard gave a clear answer.
- Thank you. Return to your duty.
- Jawohl!

"In the hospital... Damn, I hope it is not too serious. What the hell happened? And where is the damn hospital? Verdammt Bauherren... "
With that circling his mind, the 'Comintern' cruiser captain, Leo Trotzky, wandered around the base's corridors for about half an hour. When the expected door was finally in his sight, a young doctor rushed out in a hury and nearly bumped into the captain.
- Excuse me, Herr Kapitaen, I'm in such a rush that we nearly knocked each other down... - It was quite obvious judging by the doctor's face that he felt terrible embarrassment and even a little guilt before the officer.
- No need to worry, Doctor. I just need to ask you if my brother Leonid is here.
- Trotzky? - Leo answered the doctor's question by a nod - Yes. Room 7, he's alone and conscious. And not even asleep, if I remember right.
An unpleasant shadow crossed Leo's face at that moment.
- Conscious? So he loses himself often?
- Heh, no, he just awoke yesterday. I can hardly imagine how he reached the base in the first place. The guards say he evacuated the fighter on his own, but right after that he fainted.
- Thanks, Doc. I'll see how he is.
- Good day, Herr Kapitaen!
- Same to you.

Leonid's face was both pale and tense, and his gaze was directed at the ceiling. Any observer would notice that the man was being visited by a whole lot of thoughts, and none of them about how rewarding life is in Sirius. When the younger Trotzky heard nearby footsteps, he turned his head towards the opened door, surprised by his older brother's entrance.
- Lyova?
- Yes, Lyonya. Didn't expect to see you lying down like that. So go on, tell me, hero, where did you get caught up this time. Is it the Rheinswehr?
- If only. But you better sit down.
Expecting a long and unpleasant story, Leo followed.
- I wanted to come back, you see... Well, you know how much attention I caught in Rheinland. That's why I thought serving 'the' fleet. Moreover, my combat training was passed, and proven in action, heh.
Leo was silently listening to his brother. At least he didn't say anything disturbing, though Leonid's decision to leave Rheinland did seem spontaneous. But it was only the beginning, as junior Trotzky expected much more and was not mistaken ...
- I have transferred a report and and autobiography to the Military Commissariat. The next day I departed to Omega-52. And there it was, CPW-Kurt.Eisner, directly at the hole. It turned it's turrets, and the captain menacingly asked me what business does a Hessian have at their home home system. It was insulting. But at least he did not open fire. Well, not immediately...
Only a few seconds later did the final words start making sense to Leo.
- WHAT? So you're saying that the Coalition Destroyer opened fire on you?
- Yes, brother, it did. I asked permission to stay in the system and provided them with my personal information for verification... And just after a few minutes projectiles would fly right past me... Gods know how, but I left with my life, retreated to Omega-5. With one engine online my ship reached Ronneburg. When I docked, I the sent an evacuation request to the Center. Then I fell out of my Loki and... That's all I can remember.
Leo's face was hard as stone, and his gaze was fixed at a limitless distance, as if he wanted to reach out there and grab the bastard responsible. But there was nothing there - just a series of plastic panels colored blue and white. All the clinics are the same.
- Yes, Lyonya, the young Doc said that you lost your consciousness as soon as you left your ship.
- "Left it"? Rather collapsed, like a sack of ... Potatoes. I found myself here right after.
- Well, it is clear to me there are rats in the FIS who are on to something. I'll try sending a request to the Center for... well, a couple of new agents to work in the agitation service... And watch them react. Let's just hope that our whole network is not dead.
- That would be ... Disastrous.
The two brothers were silent for a moment. Finally, Leo broke the silence:
- What will you do now?
- Obviously, stay with the Hessians.
- I can requests an Odin for you, it's better than...
- No, this is out of the question! I'm fine with my Loki. It's almost like a relative to me. Just like that Partizan, with which I was trained... But this one's full of anger. You know, every ship has...
- Please, let's not discuss the "souls" again! I heard it a hundred times already. Okay, Loki, to hell with you.
- And what about your "Aurora"?
Leo frowned. Indeed, there is nothing as sad as seeing a captain who lost his ship.
- Nothing. It was decommissioned and dismantled. Engineers at Wolfsburg are under orders to construct a new cruiser, codename "Object A-M2". A new "Aurora". Completely remade from scratch. I'm leading the "Comintern" for now, it's captain died a week a week ago. The supernova got straight to the bridge. The crew out there died in an instant.
- I liked the "Aurora". There was something warm about it, almost motherly... And now she's gone. Sad...
They were silent for a few more minutes. Leo got up and shook hands farewell with Leonid. It said 'goodbye' to both of them more than a thousand words would. They both knew that neither of them will never betray or let another die. They're always there for each other - as a last hope and faith in victory and the Revolution. And they will always cover each other's back. The older and younger brother. One on the cruiser's bridge, the other as an ace pilot, together carrying death and ruin.

An hour later, the cruiser "Comintern" was already moored at Wolfsburg and combat-ready. In three hours it flies to the Omega-15 system and enters battle with the Rheinswehr and the thugs from the BHG...


** Incoming message **
** Source: Wolfsburg base **
** Comm ID: Alex **

Lack of people in agitation service. Requesting additional staff in the amount of two analysts and three agitators.

** Data Uploaded **

** End Transmission **


And Leonid is going to be held for another month in the hospital. When he goes free, his Loki will once again flash in it's full glory like new. And together they are, a man and his fighter, flying to fight the Rheinland military in Dresden ...

- Romeo-Hotel-Lima-Foxtrot-seven-four-O, permission to undock is granted. Proceed to the gateway. Good luck, Leonid!
How wonderful it is to once again find yourself in the Loki's cockpit and to leave the Ronneburg base, where long month were spent... The white-blue walls of the hospital seemed so odious, but the space, the cold space, filled with hot stars, silence in which you can be one with your machine, where you feel complete freedom, all seemed so beyond reach... But now Trotzky Jr. is back again and he's on his way to Vogtland, which feels like home.

Therefore, deep in his thoughts, Leonid flew through Omega-5 and Omega-11 and jumped to Dresden... Then his thoughts were interrupted by the shock wave of a cruise disruptor bumping his Loki, and then by a sharp voice in the communicator's dynamics:
- Leonid Trotzky, you are under arrest for treason, numerous attacks on civilian and military vessels, terrorism, and anti-government propaganda. I demand you follow us to planet New Berlin. Otherwise, you will be destroyed.
Two militaries on Wraiths... This doesn't look good at all. Vogtland is so close, but it's not even worth trying — the Wraiths will just stick to the tail and blow the fighter to pieces. Flying to New Berlin? Nonsense, the court has already passed without his presence, and the entire Rheinland knows about Leonid's sentence to death. All he has left is contacting the base, calling for reinforcements and engaging the militaries...
Leonid sent his short message to Vogtland and took a deep breath, followed by a loud and clear yell:
- So this is it, a couple of the Kanzler's lackeys here for some showing-off? How about you take your suspicions somewhere else? You won't get a search-and-deliver, bljad! - And Leonid opens fire first, charging his four debilitators at the closest military vessel and at the same time picking up speed. Looks like the militaries were waiting for that and at that same time opened a volley of fire, targeting the fast but fragile Loki. Most of the charges flew right past, but those which didn't made the small vessel tremble. Constantly dodging and trying to get a clear shot with the mini razor to the shieldless enemy, the ship slowly approached Vogtland. Leonid thought only about one thing: how did they where he'd appear? Was there a 'rat' from the FIS to set him up?
The onboard computer's voice announced severe hull damage, the shield was burned, and the engines were in critical condition. In a last desperate attempt to break through, Leonid activated the cruise engine and began to pray to all of the gods of war he could remember. Of course, he relied on more than prayer. A line of mines and countermeasures were trailing his broken fighter, but there was nothing they could do. A few more charges and the Loki was down before completing cruise sequence, leaving a hostile disruptor missile to detonate steps away from the escape pod, tearing it apart...

Militaries scanned the area and found no signs of life, sent a report about the criminal's execution and received orders for returning to New Berlin. No doubt, for their reward. A minute later the Hessian reinforcements, a Heimdall and two Odins from Vogtland, arrived, finding only wreck with a broken escape pod nearby...

- Oh, Herr Major, sit down! Well, tell me, did you catch that bastard?
- Danke, Herr... Bernd. Trotzky was killed. His pod was destroyed by a missile.
- You see, my lead was correct! I am glad that Rheinland is rid of that snake. By the way, whose missile was it?
- Mein.
- An excellent shot, Herr Major! Do you want a beer? My treat.
- No danke, Ich must write a report.
- Well, as you wish. I will have a drink, perhaps. Hey, waiter!..

** Incoming message **
** Source: New Berlin space **
** Comm ID: Merkader **

Justas neutralized. Requesting evacuation.

** Data Uploaded **

** End Transmission **

The coffin was closed. What was inside of it could barely be identified as the remains of a man. But it was, a Man with a big "M", a man with a big heart. His soul was in Valhalla now. The body inside the coffin was once Leonid Davidovich Trotzky, an agent of the Coalition's FIS, propagandist of the Revolution and saboteur in Rheinland.

Leo stood silently and looked at the coffin slowly move on the conveyor of the furnace's crematorium. Over the past two days, his face turned gray, it showed inhuman fatigue and immeasurable grief for the loss. He lost his younger brother and it was a huge shock. Never in his life has he suffered such lonelyness. Never before he wanted death like now. First, he'd find the FIS mole, and personally, with his bare hands, would pull out his guts and strangle the rat with them, furiously kicking the corpse for as long as he could after that. Kick, kick, kick... He clenched his teeth in rage, and felt tears in his eyes for the first time in many years...

Leo held an urn with Leonid's ashes. The engines fell silent, which meant the transport was already at Wolfsburg, where the new "Aurora" awaited for its captain in full combat readiness, but this didn't make him any happier. Only his enemies' blood would make a difference. There is no way back. He will remain faithful to the Revolution until the end, but now his place is here, in Rheinland forever. He is no longer a resident of the Coalition. Contact is lost, the agent network destroyed. Moreover, Leonid is dead... Another, not the last, sacrifice for the Revolution.