Reincarnated as an Imperial Prince

The aircraft carrier and two destroyers of the Imperial Ruthenian Fleet started their eight days voyage from St. Petersburg to Senegal, Dakar. Sergei was staying temporarily in the sea cabin of the captain’s ship. It is an austere, small, living quarters with tables, showers, and a bed. The captain had two quarters so he could stay in the other one.

As said, it was only temporary until they reached Dakar.

In the sea cabin, Sergei was reviewing the files he was going to present to the Senegalese representatives. There, it includes the terms the Ruthenians will exclusively have once they annex Senegal. It also included the terms the Senegalese are going to get should they accept the terms of the annexation.

Sergei and the Foreign Relations Committee of the Imperial Council were the ones who drafted the annexation terms. Some of the examples in the term is that the Ruthenian Empire will gain full control of the territory and have absolute authority over the lands of Senegal and the Senegalese people.

Their citizenship will change from Senegalese to Ruthenia if they meet the criteria stated in the treaty. Those who were born after the annexation would receive citizenship instantly due to the fact that they were born in the territory of the Ruthenian Empire.

Of course, having Ruthenian citizenship is a must-have for every person. Not only will they get exclusive benefits from being a citizen but they will also gain protection from deportation, freedom to travel to and from the Ruthenia Empire without much restriction, enjoy social welfare program, eligibility for government jobs, family reunification, and lastly ability to vote whom they believe will serve for their best interest.

That’s just how powerful the Ruthenian citizenship is, or any other citizenship from the great powers. Africa, is a continent that suffered the most from colonialism, stripping away their identity, forcing them to adopt the culture of the colonizers, precious minerals mined and stolen, and lastly, the unfair treatment they are receiving should they fight back against their oppressors.

Senegal would serve as a strategic position in Africa and in the Atlantic. Not only it gave Ruthenia the capability of protecting their shipping lines by establishing the Atlantic Fleet, but it also gave them access to Senegal’s neighboring part. It is imperative for the Ruthenia Empire that they have Senegal under their control.

To make them submit under the rule of the Ruthenia Empire, the Ruthenia Empire would simply do what it did to Manchuria when it was annexed to the Ruthenia Empire. Develop the land, make it an industrialized region, give the people there the same treatment as the Ruthenians are receiving, and provide them jobs and pay them a just salary. Doing all that would increase the chance of the Senegalese accepting their new master.

For them, it is a better deal than they are ever going to have compared to their former master. And they are not going to receive it from any other nation except the Ruthenia Empire. It is a sweet deal that only the idiots would have the guts to refuse it. Though not a complete idiot, if they have an iota of sense of nationalism or patriotism towards their country, then that would serve as a problem to the Ruthenia Empire.

Well, this is all just speculation from the Ruthenian side. No one knows what fate holds in the future. They only have to see it for themselves. And the Ruthenians did just that.

After eight days of a long voyage, the Ruthenian Imperial Navy Aircraft Carrier, the Imperator Aleksandr IV class, and the two Burnyi Class Destroyers arrived at the port of Dakar.

To the Ruthenians’ joy, the port is warm water and served as the commercial hub for the Senegalese land. The place where trade is conducted and where people exchange goods and services.

Sergei went to the deck to see it for himself and anticipated the sight of the ships huddled together as the people load and unload their products. However, the moment his eyes laid upon the port, he was…disappointed.

For them, it was a sight that they couldn’t take their eyes away from. The steel ship size of an island moored to their docks. It’s terrifying, intimidating yet majestic appearance struck the Senegalese people with fear, awe, and wonder. They were used to seeing warships. But they never saw anything like this before. Their impression of warships is huge ships made of steel with cannons on the deck. But the one before them doesn’t have cannons but a flat deck with aircraft parked on it. It was as if a new breed of a warship with a purpose they did not know.

They are aware that the Ruthenians are coming to establish order on the land whose jurisdiction was erased when the Francois Republic handed them to the Ruthenia Empire.

It took fifteen minutes for the aircraft carrier to do a full stop. And once it stopped, a continuous drumming sound beating the air reverberated, causing slight panic from the crowd on the ground.

In the sky, they see a flying aircraft but with a peculiar design. Instead of a traditional aircraft with two stationary wings and rotor blades spinning on the front, the aircraft above was nothing like it. It had two rotor blades spinning on the top and on the rear. It moved forward slowly, something that is unheard of by the Senegalese people as their impression of the plane is that they are fast and agile.

As the aircraft approached above them, it slowly made its way down to the ground. The downwash generated by the helicopter produced a gust of wind, causing the clothing of the locals to flutter violently and instinctively run away from it.  There were others who remained, watching as the aircraft made its descent from a safe distance. Moments after, the aircraft landed.

The rotor blades were still rotating on the top but with much less intensity. The door slid open, revealing two men armed with guns who hopped out of the aircraft and stood in position at either side of the door.

The next one to hop out was a man in his mid-sixties. No other than Sergei himself. He breathed the air of the land that would soon become part of the Ruthenia Empire. It was sultry compared to the crisp air of the Ruthenia Empire.

Sergei cleared his throat and began.

“I’m Sergei Grigorivich, the Foreign Minister of the Ruthenia Empire. And I came here to speak about the future of your country.”