A foreigner in the Land of Iron

[Vahir]

As a child, my father would tell me, "Never be ashamed of your roots. This is as much our land as theirs.". The first time he said it was when I was was beaten by my classmates in one of New Berlin's less fortunate schools. I was never really accepted there- The amount of control Liberty exerted over Rheinland was cause for a hatred of all things Libertonian. That would include me- My familiy moved to New Berlin when my great-great grandfather, an important executive of Interspace Commerce, was assigned to oversee the nationalisation of the trade lanes. He never left- Both IC and Liberty forgot about (or abbandoned, though that's hardly better) him. His son, and his son thereafter, barely managed to scrape by working as advisors to Kruger, which was rapidly expanding in those days.

Some would resent being stranded in Rheinland, far away from Manhattan. Up until I became an adult I was part of that demographic. I hated Rheinland, Rheinlanders and my family's poverty. It was only when I reached age 19, and began training as a pilot, that I realized that, deep down, I had fallen in love with Rheinland's industrialism. With the Rheinlanders. With Rheinland. It was then that my father's meaning had hit me- I was born in Rheinland. My father was born in Rheinland. His father was born in Rheinland! We were Rheinlanders!

I set out to defy the prejudices against Liberty. Once I finished my training, I joined the Rheinland Military to prove that I was a patriot. I would defend the fatherland, weither my countrymen and kin approved or not! Granted, it has not been easy since then, but I gradually climbed the ranks through skill and determination. When the Corsairs and traitors overwhelmed our defenses, I stood beside my countrymen to hold what was ours. When the war against Liberty started, none in the army was more zealous than I in the defense of the Fatherland against the invaders. Rheinland is MY home! We shall not fall!

All hail the Fatherland!