10-24-2016, 10:31 PM
The Legion's return to CCD territory had been a winding trail that led to its heart, Moscow. It had taken weeks to make the arrangements. Meetings took time to assure that schedules lined up, and that contract and contextual groundwork was completed properly. Luckily, the Legion had experience in such areas from its former incarnation as Legion Premiere. The legal teams were in place, and eager to be gainfully employed once more.
The CCD had proven almost surprisingly cooperative to his intentions, and the Legion's PR department had been put to work arranging the announcement. Rather then travelling straight to Moscow, there were stops arranged along the way. First and foremost was three days at Aubagne, France. Or at least, the former nation of France. A point that was carefully danced around in all official Legion statements, and Jacques speech, during the trip.
The three day visit served two purposes; first and foremost, the official sign-over of Legion artifacts and relics held at in a museum located in the Foreign Legion's traditional headquarters. Banners, historic uniforms and captured arms, and a myriad other pieces of the Legion's long history would be transferred to their new headquarters in Algeria.
The second, and certainly more public reason, for the visit to Aubagne, and a selection of other more important cities across the CCD over a two week period. Civilian survivors of the Battle of Jeddah, those that the Legion had managed to evacuate, were given a chance to meet with a handful of Legionnaire veterans of the battle. Most of those veterans were those too wounded to participate in the final stand.
The meetings were closed to live coverage; while the events did afford the Legion some much needed public image in the CCD, Jacques' actual reason for them were far more private. It allowed the civilian survivors to thank their rescuers, and for the Legionnaires whom were too wounded to continue service in a combat role to find some meaning behind the loss of both their comrades-in-arms and for the wounds that seen them unable to continue to serve.
The Legion's arrival in Moscow had led to no shortage of red tape. The delivery of Jacques' staff car, a black 1941 Citroen Traction, lovingly maintained and bearer of a myriad modern upgrades such to the point the car's only original parts were the body itself. The CCD's laws on armoured vehicles for VIPs were easy enough to work through. As were their laws on firearms. Legionnaires tasked to his security detail had been required to demonstrate a detailed understanding on the CCD's laws, and of course there had to be insurance and background checks.
But among all its various modern age features, A/C and heat were not included. An intentional sacrifice of comfort over function, meant as a sort of reminder to keep the CEO grounded and focused. Late spring in Moscow was only 'unpleasantly chill' for most visitors, but Jacques and his escort were African. Luckily, Legion Premiere had always included a winter dress uniform, which was rarely seen in use. In fact, it had served as little other then one more piece of kit the Legionnaires needed to keep immaculate during their training.
There could be no denying the Legion was a military organization which had returned to rich traditions. Of course, these uniforms were as modernized as the staff car. While traditional in appearance, keeping to the almond-green fabric, blue sash, and white Kepi cap, they were made of modern materials. Slash-resistant cloth, concealed soft-weave body armour. Military grade Landwarriors were standard issue, as were hard-case Wallets.
The officer of his guard, Capitaine Espen Pedersen, along with the Sig Sauer P226 pistol all members of the security detail openly carried, wore a traditional Infantry Sabre. The groups disembarkation from their private jet in Moscow, while covered by local news agencies, while not bound to make any degree of breaking or wide-spread news, would surely feature as a side-bar story on their social media feeds.
There was no waiting officials, no pomp and ceremony. Jacques, dressed in an officers uniform much like Capitaine Pedersen, but lacking in the bars of an officer. In fact, Jacques uniform lacked any markings of rank or title, but still bore myriad patches and medals marking completed training and gained qualifications.
Jacques right hand had been replaced with a prosthetic, one of the reasons for the weeks that had passed before his final departure for the CCD. Surgeries, recovery time, and of course necessary physiotherapy to teach him how to function with the new hand. It was the best Africa could provide, donated by a non-profit organization active in northern and western Africa, but years behind what Jacques could easily have afforded had he wished it.
It was a new hand. Functional, and with it he could wield a pistol once more. He could write, with some difficulty, he could type, albeit slower then before, and perhaps luckily he had never been skilled with musical instruments. And he could salute his men once more, shake hands, drink his tea and hold the saucer properly, read a book and turn the page without putting it down. It was the little things in life, after all.
What had come as some surprise for Jacques, was the legal departments announcement that the CCD government had made the Igumnov House available for the Legion's use during its stay in Moscow. The former home of the French ambassador, the building was only 4kms from the Red Square, situated in the historic Yakimanka District.
The Legion motorcade, three Legion SUVs escorting the black Citroen Traction, all flying the Legion flag and colours, navigated the well rehearsed route from airport to destination, where they were met by a dozen Legion staff whom had arrived a week in advance to prepare the building for its use. Staff had been hired from local agencies, oddly favoring less experienced and, theoretically, qualified personnel for the Legion's relatively light requirements.
A Legion cook (the mother of a Legionnaire in Jacques guard retinue) would serve as master of the kitchen, with local staff to assist. Legion clerks and legal staff would work with local temp workers to form his legal, administrative, and PR departments on the ground for the duration of his stay. Three members of a very respectable private security company had even been hired on to further train and instruct his security detail on CCP procedures, legal requirements, and appropriate close-protection drills.
By mid day, Jacques sat in what would serve as his office, attached to what would surely have been a lavish bedroom suite if the original furniture was still in place. Most of the furnishings from the buildings' time as home of an ambassador were long gone. The building had been re-purposed for a time as a government office during a lengthy renovation project in one of the Kremlin's many administrative buildings, and had while considered a heritage site, it had seen little use since.
As such, much of the furnishings within had been either shipped in advance, or had been purchased second hand or even rented. They were functional, sturdy, and offered little by way of grandeur and expense. The Legion was frugal when it came to frivolous expenses, and Jacques had no practical need for expensive hardwood desks and upholstered throne-like chairs.
His tea, however, was perhaps a bit of an indulgence. He sat alone, for the moment, a copy of War and Peace in hand, in its original Russian (translated thanks to software run on his Landwarriors), and a selection of Russian classical music playing softly in the background. There was no chance of him actually completing the lengthy novel during his relatively brief, and likely quite busy, stint in Moscow, but it was a bit of a habit of his, to at least attempt to embrace some historic culture of a region he visited.
His meetings would likely begin the following day, but the Legion's temporary office was open to any whom wished to visit or were interested in signing on; although in truth, few or none were likely to partake. The Battle of Jeddah, while important to the Legion's history and to those whom had survived it, was but one of many skirmishes that had occurred that bloody night throughout DV, and the public at large tended to have short memories.
The CCD had proven almost surprisingly cooperative to his intentions, and the Legion's PR department had been put to work arranging the announcement. Rather then travelling straight to Moscow, there were stops arranged along the way. First and foremost was three days at Aubagne, France. Or at least, the former nation of France. A point that was carefully danced around in all official Legion statements, and Jacques speech, during the trip.
The three day visit served two purposes; first and foremost, the official sign-over of Legion artifacts and relics held at in a museum located in the Foreign Legion's traditional headquarters. Banners, historic uniforms and captured arms, and a myriad other pieces of the Legion's long history would be transferred to their new headquarters in Algeria.
The second, and certainly more public reason, for the visit to Aubagne, and a selection of other more important cities across the CCD over a two week period. Civilian survivors of the Battle of Jeddah, those that the Legion had managed to evacuate, were given a chance to meet with a handful of Legionnaire veterans of the battle. Most of those veterans were those too wounded to participate in the final stand.
The meetings were closed to live coverage; while the events did afford the Legion some much needed public image in the CCD, Jacques' actual reason for them were far more private. It allowed the civilian survivors to thank their rescuers, and for the Legionnaires whom were too wounded to continue service in a combat role to find some meaning behind the loss of both their comrades-in-arms and for the wounds that seen them unable to continue to serve.
The Legion's arrival in Moscow had led to no shortage of red tape. The delivery of Jacques' staff car, a black 1941 Citroen Traction, lovingly maintained and bearer of a myriad modern upgrades such to the point the car's only original parts were the body itself. The CCD's laws on armoured vehicles for VIPs were easy enough to work through. As were their laws on firearms. Legionnaires tasked to his security detail had been required to demonstrate a detailed understanding on the CCD's laws, and of course there had to be insurance and background checks.
But among all its various modern age features, A/C and heat were not included. An intentional sacrifice of comfort over function, meant as a sort of reminder to keep the CEO grounded and focused. Late spring in Moscow was only 'unpleasantly chill' for most visitors, but Jacques and his escort were African. Luckily, Legion Premiere had always included a winter dress uniform, which was rarely seen in use. In fact, it had served as little other then one more piece of kit the Legionnaires needed to keep immaculate during their training.
There could be no denying the Legion was a military organization which had returned to rich traditions. Of course, these uniforms were as modernized as the staff car. While traditional in appearance, keeping to the almond-green fabric, blue sash, and white Kepi cap, they were made of modern materials. Slash-resistant cloth, concealed soft-weave body armour. Military grade Landwarriors were standard issue, as were hard-case Wallets.
The officer of his guard, Capitaine Espen Pedersen, along with the Sig Sauer P226 pistol all members of the security detail openly carried, wore a traditional Infantry Sabre. The groups disembarkation from their private jet in Moscow, while covered by local news agencies, while not bound to make any degree of breaking or wide-spread news, would surely feature as a side-bar story on their social media feeds.
There was no waiting officials, no pomp and ceremony. Jacques, dressed in an officers uniform much like Capitaine Pedersen, but lacking in the bars of an officer. In fact, Jacques uniform lacked any markings of rank or title, but still bore myriad patches and medals marking completed training and gained qualifications.
Jacques right hand had been replaced with a prosthetic, one of the reasons for the weeks that had passed before his final departure for the CCD. Surgeries, recovery time, and of course necessary physiotherapy to teach him how to function with the new hand. It was the best Africa could provide, donated by a non-profit organization active in northern and western Africa, but years behind what Jacques could easily have afforded had he wished it.
It was a new hand. Functional, and with it he could wield a pistol once more. He could write, with some difficulty, he could type, albeit slower then before, and perhaps luckily he had never been skilled with musical instruments. And he could salute his men once more, shake hands, drink his tea and hold the saucer properly, read a book and turn the page without putting it down. It was the little things in life, after all.
What had come as some surprise for Jacques, was the legal departments announcement that the CCD government had made the Igumnov House available for the Legion's use during its stay in Moscow. The former home of the French ambassador, the building was only 4kms from the Red Square, situated in the historic Yakimanka District.
The Legion motorcade, three Legion SUVs escorting the black Citroen Traction, all flying the Legion flag and colours, navigated the well rehearsed route from airport to destination, where they were met by a dozen Legion staff whom had arrived a week in advance to prepare the building for its use. Staff had been hired from local agencies, oddly favoring less experienced and, theoretically, qualified personnel for the Legion's relatively light requirements.
A Legion cook (the mother of a Legionnaire in Jacques guard retinue) would serve as master of the kitchen, with local staff to assist. Legion clerks and legal staff would work with local temp workers to form his legal, administrative, and PR departments on the ground for the duration of his stay. Three members of a very respectable private security company had even been hired on to further train and instruct his security detail on CCP procedures, legal requirements, and appropriate close-protection drills.
By mid day, Jacques sat in what would serve as his office, attached to what would surely have been a lavish bedroom suite if the original furniture was still in place. Most of the furnishings from the buildings' time as home of an ambassador were long gone. The building had been re-purposed for a time as a government office during a lengthy renovation project in one of the Kremlin's many administrative buildings, and had while considered a heritage site, it had seen little use since.
As such, much of the furnishings within had been either shipped in advance, or had been purchased second hand or even rented. They were functional, sturdy, and offered little by way of grandeur and expense. The Legion was frugal when it came to frivolous expenses, and Jacques had no practical need for expensive hardwood desks and upholstered throne-like chairs.
His tea, however, was perhaps a bit of an indulgence. He sat alone, for the moment, a copy of War and Peace in hand, in its original Russian (translated thanks to software run on his Landwarriors), and a selection of Russian classical music playing softly in the background. There was no chance of him actually completing the lengthy novel during his relatively brief, and likely quite busy, stint in Moscow, but it was a bit of a habit of his, to at least attempt to embrace some historic culture of a region he visited.
His meetings would likely begin the following day, but the Legion's temporary office was open to any whom wished to visit or were interested in signing on; although in truth, few or none were likely to partake. The Battle of Jeddah, while important to the Legion's history and to those whom had survived it, was but one of many skirmishes that had occurred that bloody night throughout DV, and the public at large tended to have short memories.