Reincarnated: Vive La France

The door shut behind him with a solid thud, the sound reverberating in the high-ceilinged room like a judge's gavel.

The hearing chamber was nothing grand a simple, starkly furnished room in the Ministry of War, with a long wooden table at its center.

Three officers sat behind it, their expressions ranging from disinterested to outright hostile.

At the center was Colonel Lemoine, a man in his fifties, his thinning gray hair neatly combed, his uniform crisp, his demeanor one of controlled irritation.

To his left sat General Bresson, a thick-necked officer who had likely never missed a meal or a chance to enforce tradition.

And to the right Clément.

Moreau had expected it, but seeing Clément sitting there, his cold eyes scanning the room like a predator waiting for his moment to strike, made it clear that this wasn't a hearing. It was an ambush.

Moreau saluted sharply, stepping forward with practiced ease.

"Capitaine Étienne Moreau, reporting as ordered."

Lemoine barely looked up from the documents in front of him. "Take a seat, Captain."

Moreau sat, keeping his posture straight but not rigid.

Too much stiffness could be mistaken for nerves, and he wasn't about to give them the satisfaction.

Lemoine flipped a page, adjusting his glasses. "You are aware of why you are here?"

Moreau knew the game they were playing.

They weren't interested in explanations or defenses.

This was about control, about forcing him to acknowledge their authority before they decided his fate.

Still, he played his part. "I was informed that the committee has concerns regarding my conduct and my approach to training exercises."

Lemoine exhaled, finally looking up. "Concerns, indeed."

He slid a document forward. "Do you recognize this report, Captain?"

Moreau glanced at it.

He didn't need to read it to know what it was Clément's formal complaint against him.

"I do, sir," he replied evenly.

Lemoine nodded, his expression unreadable. "It describes a pattern of behavior that is, to put it bluntly, troubling. Deviation from standard training doctrine, excessive emphasis on independent tank maneuvers, disregard for established procedures. It paints a picture of an officer who believes himself above his superiors. Would you say this report is accurate?"

Moreau didn't even glance at Clément, but he could feel the man's eyes on him. Waiting.

"With respect, sir," Moreau said, keeping his tone firm but not defiant, "it is not accurate. It is a selective interpretation of my actions, presented to serve a narrative rather than reflect the reality of our training exercises."

Bresson scoffed. "So you're saying your superior officer fabricated this report?"

Moreau's jaw tightened slightly. "I am saying that my training exercises followed regulations. They were approved. The results speak for themselves."

Lemoine tapped a finger against the desk. "And yet, the officer who filed this report, a decorated veteran, a man with years of experience seems to believe otherwise. That's quite an accusation to make against Major Clément."

There it was.

They weren't just questioning his methods.

They were daring him to challenge Clément outright.

Moreau chose his words carefully.

"I have nothing but respect for Major Clément's service," he said smoothly. "But doctrine is not infallible, sir. Wars change. The battlefield changes. If our training does not adapt, we risk repeating past mistakes."

Bresson's nostrils flared. "And what mistakes would those be, Captain?"

Moreau met his gaze evenly. "The assumption that the next war will be fought like the last. That tanks exist only to support infantry, that our strategy should be built entirely around defensive lines. History tells us that static defenses can be bypassed. That war favors those who move, who think, who adapt."

Clément finally spoke, his voice sharp and cold.

"And you consider yourself one of those men, Captain?"

Moreau turned to face him, keeping his expression neutral. "I consider myself an officer who wants France to win the next war, sir."

A brief silence fell over the room.

Clément leaned forward slightly. "Tell me, Captain. Are you implying that your superiors men who have dedicated their lives to this army are incapable of winning the next war?"

Moreau refused to take the bait.

"I am saying, sir, that our doctrines should serve the future, not the past."

Bresson let out a sharp laugh. "Listen to him! The professor-soldier, teaching us about war like we haven't lived through it!"

Moreau stayed silent, letting the insult pass.

They wanted a reaction.

He wouldn't give them one.

Lemoine exhaled heavily, rubbing his temple. "Captain Moreau, I won't waste time arguing theory. The fact remains that you have been accused of insubordination, of operating outside the expectations set by your command structure. Whether or not your ideas have merit is not the question here. The question is whether you understand your place in this army."

Moreau sat perfectly still.

He knew the answer they wanted.

"Yes, sir. I understand my place. I will obey orders without question. I will abandon independent thought and do exactly as I am told."

But if he said that, they would win.

He chose his words carefully. "I understand that my place, sir, is to serve France. To ensure that when the time comes, we are ready."

Lemoine stared at him for a long moment.

Then he leaned back in his chair. "Very well."

He looked down at his papers again, tapping a pen against them. "Your record is clean. Your training reports, despite the concerns, have shown improved performance among your men. And, much to the frustration of some, you have technically followed regulations."

Clément's expression darkened.

He hadn't expected this.

Lemoine continued. "Given the circumstances, this committee will not pursue further disciplinary action at this time."

Moreau kept his expression neutral, but internally, he exhaled slowly.

Lemoine fixed him with a sharp gaze. "However, let me be clear. You are an officer of this army, not a theorist in a university lecture hall. You will follow orders. You will respect the chain of command. And you will tread carefully, Captain. Because I assure you, should we receive another report like this one, the outcome will not be so lenient."

Moreau saluted. "Understood, sir."

Lemoine nodded. "Dismissed."

Moreau stood, turned, and walked toward the door without hesitation.

Just as he reached it, Clément's voice cut through the air.

"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Moreau. We'll see how long it takes before you finally learn your place."

Moreau paused for only a fraction of a second before stepping through the door, his expression unreadable.

He had won the battle.

But the war was far from over.