Commander Titov

One thing to make clear: F--- Communism. Yes, we're a bunch of autocrats in Russia, and yes we use a lot of symbols from the old Stalinist State. But we're not here to make everyone equal, or bring about a world revolution. Most of us anyway. There are some with delusions of grandeur and access to strategic weapons systems - but I doubt anything is going to come of it.

Imagery of the second world war (Thought I was going to call it the "Great Patriotic War?) is good for keeping up the spirits and though Unfortunate Stalin was in charge at the time. The USSR was a real empire which is a source of pride, never mind ninety nine percent of the people around here were born decades after it disintegrated.

In the end though, there is no idealism here. We're just a bunch of soldiers on the Kola peninsula and some wayward civilians who think if they're not safe on a military base, they're not safe anywhere. Great place for it - its an arctic wasteland with the two largest populations centers being Reindeer breeding grounds and nuclear power plants since nobody is around to complain about them.

Well, it has warmed up and melted a lot in the past forty years, so we can at least consider farming or taking shortcuts to Canada - not that there is much reason to do so. Various hydrocarbon deposits and mines have opened up too. Civilization started in the fertile river valleys, and its going to restart in the former wastelands of Siberia and the Baltic. Irony? Nah. Never was much of one for story books.

Resources, retainers, military personnel, and a whole bunch of naval assets. Very few aliens and reanimates though, I don't think they like the cold. Not none - but few. If it weren't for the other forces of Europe trying to wipe us out, or the armed bands who keep trying to break in seeking treasure and fame, we might be on to something.

They can call us vikings all that they want. Simple truth - we have the facilities to make use of those materials, the force to take them, and not much other recourse. We'll take on whatever navys remain, and emerge triumphant. We'll rule the seas or roll through the Fulda Gap. No human, alien, or other is going to keep us bottled up for long.