"Bastardo At War: Epilogue - Ángel” #FM20

Ángel (Chapter 3)

Territories in the Bastardo-Chepiga FM World, at the conclusion of Bastardo At War.

Territories in the Bastardo-Chepiga FM World, at the conclusion of Bastardo At War.

“For the happiness of all mankind Russia requires that this treaty holds, and will not negotiate with you."

Chepiga’s bluntness was a quality that Ángel Bastardo always appreciated, until now. It was true, a debt to the Black Bear had to be paid. After all, it was Russian intelligence that led to Bastardo’s early disappearance on the onset of the Great War of Africa. It was also true that he helped coordinate the swift exit of La Plata’s assets, placing it in real estate and in virtual currencies around the globe. The wealth of Bastardo rose into the clouds of unaccountability. Lavish but untraceable was his wealth. But now Ruslan was here giving orders, in Ángel Bastardo’s continent.

Bastardo bit back “Uruguay?! They are farmers, and they hate me. Best put one of those bullets in me now Ruslan. I will not go”.

“You will” replied Ruslan, as he pushed a small envelope towards Argentina’s Most Wanted. The seal was unbroken and Bastardo recognised its mark immediately: Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. Ruslan continued: “Montevideo has long been a neutral port, and the AUF have been clear in their intentions to protect you. There is no love for the Americans there”.

His words sent a chill as Bastardo continued reading the letter. The conclusion: AUF were to make him Óscar Tabárez’s heir, the next u20 Manager of La Celeste.

Ruslan continued: “The Americans will soon close in. Your outpost here is neat, but the Americans won’t hold back like they did with Escobar. They will invade and kill all”.

Bastardo grimaced at the thought of the people dying around him. The foot soldiers he employed had been always disposable, but the Venezuelans? This jungle had changed him.

“I’d take the boy-man Hugo with you too. You will one day need a successor” Ruslan smiled. His dark black hair with hints of grey glistened in the moonlight that filtered into the room.

Bastardo paused. If Hugo goes, so does his nurse mother. He had laid with her twice already, enjoying the warmth of her company each time. But if she goes, then so do her fellow nurses and all the immediate patients they care for too. One-by-one everybody in the outpost would have a reason to join Bastardo in Montevideo.

“He’ll do his duty and remain here”. Bastardo replied. The pain visible on his face as he built the courage to finish his sentence...”Like I’ll do mine and serve the Uruguayans”.

Ruslan slowly nodded with approval, before moving on to the real reason for his visit. “Now your debt Ángel”. His words hissed, the Black Bear poked the Lion. But the lion would bite back.

It was now Bastardo’s turn to pass over an envelope, sliding it across the table...avoiding Ruslan’s glass of vodka.

“Every Colombian shipping lane and eventual destination in Mexico” Bastardo said sternly.

Ruslan unfolded the map and smiled uncontrollably. His eyes studied the potential that Bastardo presented him. The possibility of another continent’s contraband under his control.

There was now a different Ruslan Chepiga in the room. As he rose he folded the map and tucked it into his inside blazer pocket.

Rifle in hand and moving towards the door, he gave one last comment: “The debt is more than paid comrade. Welcome back Ángel Bastardo. The World awaits...”

Bastardo At War - Colombia 2.png

Note from the Editor - Sometimes in stories, you need to go around the houses in order to get to where you want to be. With Bastardo, I wanted another crack at South America…it's honestly the most fun I've had in Football Manager. But in order to get him from Argentina to Uruguay, I took the long road: invasions of Africa, assassinations in Russia and migrants camps in Colombia. But, after a year of doing all of that, we're finally at the stage where we get to see Ruslan Chepiga playing the part of the Greek bearing gifts.

I've got aspirations and desires from what I want out of Football Manager 2020 and I hope my introductory posts will lay the scene for another great save and story. I hope you can join Ángel and I…

FM Grasshopper

"Bastardo At War: Epilogue - Ruslan” #FM20

Ruslan (Chapter 2)

Ruslan Image.jpg

It was pitch black as Ruslan leaned from the side of the helicopter at the huge expanse of Colombian jungle below, the silence only broken by the immense thudding of the KA52 - Alligator's rotor blades.

Fucking Russian GPS, he thought, as they circled their given co-ordinates for a third time. A flicker of light below, no more than a pinprick, through the canopy gave Bastardo away.

As they descended a clearing emerged, their landing was swift. Ruslan was struck by the relatively highly developed infrastructure, communication point, crops, a water tower, Gymnasium, and a relatively large, resplendent administrative building. A sizeable crowd of locals had gathered, Ruslan had faced down much larger groups before, and did not really take them under his notice.

Ruslan exited the Helicopter, as often was the case, the crowd hushed in his presence. His eyes were drawn to a boy, with the gaze of a man full of Fibra, standing before him in defiance. Ruslan had caught this gaze before, he knew he was in the right place.

"Bastardo, Comrade" he whispered in the boy's ear.

I am Bastardo, came the barely audible reply through the noise of the KA52 blades.

It was then the crowd turned, an upwelling of emotion could be felt in the air. Such he hadn't felt since the second Chechen Rebellion in the late 1990s, the hairs on the back of his neck stood erect.

I AM BASTARDO, the crowd cried in unison raising their right arm a loft with clenched fist. I AM BASTARDO! they called again, with such force that Ruslan took a step back as their call to arms echoed through the dark valley.

A volley of shots fired into the air from his Kalashnikov managed to disperse the crowd momentarily, apart from the boy-man. Ruslan sighed heavily, as the youngster drew a pistol, safety still engaged, and raised it to the general's head. The boy was shaking, beads of sweat running down his face, but he did not yield, Ruslan paused..

"HUGO - stop!"

The dark silhouette of a man emerged from the shadows; it was Bastardo. He finished his Cigar with one long draw, and slowly approached Ruslan.

"Keep calm, these men are friends." He called, his gruff voice piercing the cool night air.

The two men, completely encircled by locals, greeted each other as brothers and shook hands vigorously.

"I knew one day you'd come here." Bastardo murmured in Ruslan's left ear.

"Debts must be paid Ángel." Ruslan replied his tone as deep as it was sinister.

"Bastardo always pays his debts, my Russian friend, please, come inside for a drink."

The two men sat opposite one another, Bastardo lit a cigar, Ruslan rolled his own cigarette and placed his rifle on the table. The room was lavish by the standards of the others Ruslan could see; there were scantily clad women and servants stood in its four corners. The men toasted each other and the Motherland.

"It's over Bastardo, the Americans have agreed not to pursue you any further. Russia has negotiated a peace treaty with the UN."

"Fantastic! I will reign once again, hahaha, come Ruslan why delay, is Mike According here, when do we leave for La Plata?" Chortled the Argentinian dictator.

"Ángel, no, I fear you have not understood the situation, you are to be sent to Uruguay, and there you must stay. You must gather your most trusted men and leave immediately. For the happiness of all mankind Russia requires that this treaty holds, and will not negotiate with you."

Note from the Editor - I initially planned to write the Ruslan Chepiga piece, but it always felt I was intruding on the fabulous character created by Chris Eadie (@FMEadster). So, I got Eadie on board.

My aim was always to show the same scene laid out in Hugo, but with subtle viewpoint differences. It highlights that we all see the same thing but naturally put bias and prejudice on things. Well done to Chris for taking this on board and executing it with perfection.

We also finally see the great man himself: Ángel Bastardo. Our anti-hero of the story, and our viewpoint in the conclusion to Bastardo At War…