Lieutenant General of the National Defense Force,

"I don't believe we should grant him more power. He's too young and acts impulsively. We cannot entrust the future of Germany to such an inexperienced youth," declared an old general, his thick eyebrows knitting together as he leaned back in his chair.

Beside him, a middle-aged man clad in a crisp lieutenant general's uniform scoffed, "We are all old. He accomplished what we only dreamed of. We should be supporting him."

"What more support does he need? The things he did in his youth alone could have gotten him hanged multiple times! We overlooked those actions and now his power only grows," countered another veteran, his head bald in the center, framed by a snowy white beard. He slammed his hand on the table for emphasis.

"Nonetheless, his recent diplomatic successes are undeniable. We cannot dismiss his contributions; Germany is growing stronger under his leadership, which is ultimately our objective," interjected President Hindenburg, squinting from his seat at the head of the table. His voice was weak, and he paused to catch his breath after speaking.

"General Hamelstein remaining as the commander-in-chief does offer us some reassurance, and it might pressure Akkado to act more cautiously," another general added.

"Indeed! There's no need to change our commander-in-chief. Hamelstein is reliable, especially in crucial times. We shouldn't replace him," the middle-aged general who had first defended the youth nodded in agreement. "Our control over the troops is waning; we can't afford to give him any real power."

"If you're so concerned, why not assign him to the navy? He's shown he can adeptly handle multiple military branches. With the navy's limited size of less than 20,000, it's a manageable risk," suggested Admiral Riddle from the corner of the table, the de facto leader of the German Navy.

The bald general snorted derisively, "Oh, how generous of you! After the 'Pluto Project' bolstered your position, you're eager to support this young major general, Akkado? Are you planning to hand over all your forces to him?"

"Mind your words!" the thick-browed general retorted angrily. "We are here to discuss Major Akkado's future, not Admiral Riddle's actions."

"What options do we have left? Promote him to lieutenant general? Ridiculous. Have you ever seen a German lieutenant general under 28? Look at the Defense Force! How many colonels are over forty or fifty? The major general rank is already too high for such a young man! How do you expect us, the nobility, to salute a general younger than our sons?" the bald general continued, growing more irate, his hand thumping the table.

"Do not slam the table in my presence! Only one person has ever had that right, and that was His Majesty the Emperor!" Hindenburg declared sharply, his voice cutting through the room, silencing the murmurs. The room fell quiet, no one daring to speak out.

"All current military exercises and over half of our weaponry and equipment orders were orchestrated by him. The future development plans were also initially proposed by him and have been refined over the years…" Hindenburg spoke laboriously, pausing to breathe deeply before continuing. He looked over the generals, most of whom had served loyally alongside him, "We are all aging. One day, we will have to pass our responsibilities to the younger generation. It's as simple as that. We must choose suitable successors for Germany."

"I am a lieutenant general," the middle-aged general stood up and declared, "I was skeptical of General Akkado's capabilities, but if he can lead us to victory, I will salute him! I respect the German military traditions he has upheld!"

"That settles it then," Hindenburg nodded slowly, using his secretary's help to stand. "In my name, I promote Akkado Rudolf to the rank of Lieutenant General of the National Defense Force, responsible for the unified management of the Joint Operations Staff of the Defense Forces, Navy, and Air Forces. He will be the first Chief of Staff of the Joint Operations of the Three Armies."

Everyone in the room stood up sharply and saluted in unison, "Yes!"

With the decision made, Hindenburg was the first to leave the meeting room with assistance from his secretary, while the others dispersed in small groups.

"The 28-year-old commander-in-chief of the German National Defense Force will be a laughingstock! The old marshal is, after all, too old," the bald general muttered as he walked towards the corridor, his voice trailing off as the distance increased.

"More than that, I'm concerned about the rise of the Grand German Party within the military. I fear not the lieutenant general, but a dictator who might control both military and political power. If he errs, it could spell disaster for Germany," the thick-browed general sighed deeply.

"I always knew you had more foresight than me since the Battle of the Somme. I was merely a soldier without your knack for strategy. But look at this Akkado, what has he done to deserve becoming a high-ranking general at such a young age? My rank of lieutenant general was earned over a lifetime! When I was fighting, he was barely a soldier! Nonsense…" the bald and bearded general cursed as he walked away with the thick-browed general, their voices fading.

The middle-aged general watched them leave, then paused to wait for Admiral Riddle to catch up. "I heard you and Lieutenant General Akkado have known each other for two years and are quite close. Perhaps we could all have dinner together sometime?"

In a world never short of opportunists, the rise of Akkado seemed unstoppable. The commander of two divisions of the German Wehrmacht near Leipzig and Dresden, Lieutenant General Bock, decided it was time to place his bets. If successful, the rewards could be immense; if not, the losses catastrophic. But in gambling, timing is everything.

Lieutenant General Bock had risen rapidly through the ranks, thanks to Akkado's "Pluto Project" which expanded the National Defense Army. From a staff officer and colonel in 1920, he became a young general within five years, thanks to the project's influence. Initially committed to supporting President Hindenburg out of Prussian loyalty, Bock sensed the old president's waning influence and began considering his options. After weighing the various powers at play, he decided to throw his lot in with the rising Akkado Rudolf faction.

"It's no problem. General Akkado has always wanted to meet General Bock but never had the opportunity," Riddle replied, slightly taken aback. Only someone close to Akkado, like him, could have spoken on behalf of the navy during the meeting.

"Thank you! I have a bottle of aged French Chateau Margaux. Come to my house tonight! I'll ask Mary to prepare her special salad and thick soup," Bock said, not intending to waste this opportunity to forge a new alliance. His residence was in Berlin, not Dresden, where his headquarters was located.

Riddle nodded, his face brightening at the mention of fine wine, "Of course. I'm thrilled to join! I can't resist good wine, hahaha."

He laughed, walking alongside Bock, then added, "If you don't mind, General Akado and Mr. Streismann, Vice Chairman of the Grand German Party, might be free tonight. Why not invite them?"

"Absolutely! No problem at all!" Bock's smile widened, realizing the potential benefits of direct acquaintance with Akado. Under Akado's leadership, he could maintain his status, at least on par with Riddle. "Since we're inviting such distinguished guests, I'll skip the salad and soup and have my staff prepare a better selection of steak and roast chicken."

That evening, Akado, Streisman, and their close associates, Merkel and Gerin Nike? Cassia, followed Riddle to Bock's home in Berlin. The group enjoyed a lively evening, departing well past eight o'clock.

The next day, Bock officially joined the Grand German Party and hurried back to Dresden to begin deploying the armored vehicles and new artillery secretly allocated by Akado. He also announced at a head-level meeting, attended by the 9th and 10th Division heads of the Wehrmacht, that he would no longer hinder the expansion of the Grand German Party within the troops.

When news of these developments reached Berlin, Hindenburg sat silently in his chair for ten minutes, wordless. Just hours earlier, he had signed the order establishing the Joint Operations Staff of the National Defense Forces, putting the three armed forces under the newly promoted Lieutenant General Akado Rudolf's command. For the first time, the forces under Akado's control constituted more than half of the IDF, meaning even if Hindenburg wished to replace Akado, he would likely not find the same support within the IDF as before.