"This is the situation: our minister would like to arrange a meeting with you at the Federal Ministry of Defense either tomorrow or the day after. There's something important he wants to discuss with you," the female secretary said in a sweet voice over the phone.
"The Ministry of Defense? Could you give me a brief idea of what it's about over the phone?" Mavi had a feeling that this was no ordinary matter. After all, if it involved the Russian Minister of Defense, it had to be a national-level issue!
"It's about Chechnya—there's been an incident," the secretary paused briefly before responding.
"Chechnya? Understood. I'll be there tomorrow!" As soon as Mavi heard the word "Chechnya," he knew it was serious.
Russia, a federal state, had always considered the Chechen Republic a major sore spot.
Located on the northern side of the Caucasus Mountains, between the Caspian and Black Seas, Chechnya was a crucial strategic passageway in the region.
Both land transportation to Europe and vital oil pipelines had to pass through Chechnya.
The First Chechen War (also known as the counter-terrorism operation) had shocked not only Russia but the entire world. Who would have thought that the once-invincible Soviet Red Army would end up in such a humiliating situation?
The Chechen militants had only about 26,000 fighters. Yet, when over 30,000 Russian mechanized troops rolled in with tanks, the campaign lasted 20 months, resulting in thousands of Russian casualties and, ultimately, a failed mission. Russia was forced to sign a temporary ceasefire agreement with Chechnya—what became known as the Khasavyurt Accord.
This agreement required Russian troops to withdraw from Chechnya, take on the costs of reconstruction, and temporarily set aside the Chechen issue—delaying a final resolution for five years.
From his past-life memories, Mavi recalled that the Second Chechen War had officially ended in February 2000 with a Russian victory. But in this parallel world, it hadn't even begun yet.
The Chechen Wars were among the most significant counter-terrorism operations in Russian history. If the Ministry of Defense was calling him in because of this, then Mavi had a major responsibility on his shoulders…
"Alright then, Mr. Mavi. General Grilov will meet you at the Federal Ministry of Defense building," the secretary, Yuna, informed him over the phone.
"Alright," Mavi responded. After hanging up, he immediately went online to search for any news regarding Chechnya.
However, he found nothing. It was as if all information had been completely sealed off. That meant whatever he was about to hear at the Ministry of Defense would be classified military intelligence—something beyond the reach of ordinary citizens or even lower-ranking officers.
---
### The Next Morning
At 10 AM the next day, Mavi arrived by private car at the Federal Ministry of Defense building in Moscow. Compared to the Kremlin, which he had visited before, this building had a much more modern atmosphere.
Its white exterior walls highlighted the solemnity and purity of the government structure. The Russian flag flew atop the building, perfectly aligned with the national emblem displayed below.
"Mr. Mavi, this way, please. Minister Grilov and the others are in the conference room. I'll take you there," said Yuna, the same secretary who had spoken to him on the phone the day before. She was dressed in formal business attire and greeted him professionally.
To be honest, Mavi still had no idea why the Ministry of Defense had summoned him. He had never been involved in war planning before. The thought that such a matter had landed in his lap made him feel uneasy.
Following Yuna's lead, Mavi arrived at the door of the conference hall on the second floor of the Ministry of Defense. Before the secretary could even knock, he could hear intense arguments coming from inside.
It sounded like they were about to break into a fight!
Knock, knock, knock!
As soon as the secretary knocked on the door, the heated discussion inside came to an abrupt stop.
"Minister Grilov, Mr. Mavi has arrived," Yuna announced. She seemed completely unfazed by the previous shouting, as if these kinds of arguments were a common occurrence in such meetings. She then stepped aside, holding the door open for Mavi to enter.
Mavi took a quick glance into the room and immediately noticed that the long oval conference table was packed with Russian military officers, all wearing uniforms decorated with various medals. From major generals to lieutenant generals and even full generals, their gold and silver medals shimmered so brightly that Mavi nearly felt dizzy.
So… these were the people who had just been arguing so fiercely? The Army versus the Air Force?
Since the conference room door was positioned at the center of the table, Mavi could clearly see that on his left sat the Russian Army generals, while on his right sat the Russian Air Force generals.
"Mr. Mavi, please take a seat," said a middle-aged man sitting at the far end of the table. His shoulders bore the insignia of a full General of the Russian Army, and he gestured for Mavi to take the empty seat beside him.
This man was General Grilov, the Russian Minister of Defense.
Mavi's first impression of him was that he was the no-nonsense, tough, and quiet type. His face was stern, marked by deep wrinkles, giving him an aura that was not to be trifled with.
But why had the Minister of Defense personally invited him to this meeting?
Mavi couldn't understand—he was nowhere near the level of involvement required for top-secret military discussions like this.
As he anxiously took his seat, he suddenly realized that nearly every Army and Air Force officer in the room had turned their heads to look at him.
The sheer intensity of their gazes made him even more confused.
What the hell was going on here…?
Considering that every single person in the room was a high-ranking military official, any one of them could probably squash him like a bug with just a flick of their finger. So Mavi didn't dare blurt out something like, "Why the hell are all you Russians staring at me?"
He could only sit there awkwardly, waiting for someone to explain what was going on.
At that moment, General Grilov motioned for someone to hand Mavi a white A4 sheet of paper, printed with black text.
As he looked at the document, Mavi realized that it outlined the Russian military's proposed strategy for attacking Chechnya and eliminating the Chechen terrorist groups.
However, the document was quite brief, lacking many critical details—which explained why the Russian Army and Air Force had been arguing so fiercely just moments ago.
Mavi was even more confused now.
What did any of this have to do with him?
The Mikoyan family had no interests in Chechnya, and this whole situation seemed completely unrelated to him.
But just as he was thinking this, something on the document made him freeze in shock!
At the bottom of the document, where the author's name was written, he saw a signature:
Mavi Ivanovich Mikoyan.
"What the hell…?! When did I write this?!"
Mavi's heart nearly stopped.
---
(End of Chapter)