Author's notes:

So here we are yet again, following our favorite tankers as they are dragged about the worst conflict in human history. Things are about to get truly serious, but we still have people to get to know and others who want to have a say about what they think.

As always, thank you guys for all the support, the comments, the help, and the enthusiasm. This project wouldn't be possible without those who've been with me since the very start, and those who enjoy what it has become. Thank you.


II

GIRLS AND PANZERS

"Glad you could join us, Fräulein Nitzschmann."

Apparently unfazed by Colonel Messner's sarcastic tone, Maria advanced to the middle of the room, where the rest of the 77th command staff was already present, sitting in a few chairs turned to the big map the colonel had unfolded over the farthest wall. Most of the men turned to see the two newcomers enter the room. Martin couldn't say he was too happy to be there, contrary to what he'd expected when he started his trip that night. By the contrary, he felt embarrassed for entering there following a girl.

The battalion's HQ was set in a small house a hundred meters away from the motor pool. Surprisingly enough, it still had a ceiling, although the outer walls were buckled with holes punched through by large pieces of shrapnel. The living room, where the meeting was taking place, was still inhabitable, the broken windows covered by blankets to make it a little more comfortable.

"I'm sorry, Herr Oberst." Maria replied to Messner's remark. "I needed to check on my people on the way here."

Messner sighed.

"I guess it couldn't be helped." Then he looked at Martin. "Who's him? I don't recall having seen that face before."

"This is Unteroffizier Martin Navrátilová, and he is the commander of the crew the High Command has sent us. He also brought with him two new armored vehicles and a heavy truck."

"Good. That also solves the issue with the spare crew." Messner pointed at two empty chairs. "Have a seat."

With that issue dealt with, Messner and the rest of those present turned their attentions back to the map. Martin realized it represented Eastern Germany, with a large circle drawn with a pencil on the center and the word 'Berlin' written over it. Arrows coming from north and south pointed to said circle. It wasn't hard for Martin to comprehend what they represented.

"Now, where were we?" The colonel began. "As I was saying, the 9th Army is still engaging the 1st Belorussian Front in the Seelow Heights, but things being as they are, they won't last much longer. This will allow Zhukov to descend directly onto Berlin. Meanwhile we still have Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front coming from the south. At this point the question isn't if the 12th will disengage the Americans and turn to face the Ivan, but when.

"Due to our current location, we're among the units closer to the Soviets, so have no illusions, when the time comes, we'll be at the forefront of the advance. I want you to have your men ready to depart at any moment. Keep with the frontline discipline and keep making the drills." He turned to Maria. "This goes for you too, Nitzschmann."

One of the officers present raised a hand.

"What about the reinforcements we were promised?" He asked, his voice betraying his skepticism. "Is this how we're supposed to fight? Understaffed and with a bunch of old farts and kids barely out of the kindergarten?" He glanced at Maria. "No offense."

"None taken." She replied.

Almost imperceptibly, Messner sighed.

"This is what we have."

"Any news about fuel or ammunition?" Another officer asked.

"No. For now we'll have to work with or own stockpiles."

A blonde officer let out a clearly forced laugh.

"Without reinforcements and without supplies, then?" He said. "I bet the Ivan is shitting his pants right now."

Messner narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased by the man's attitude.

"Composure, Havoc." He told him. "And that goes for all of you. We're still fighting here. Don't you forget about the civilians in Berlin, or about our comrades holding the line. The war isn't over yet."

"It could very well be…" Someone mumbled behind Martin. His voice was so low that he doubted Messner had heard it, but to Martin it clearly showed how fed up those men were with that war. He realized some had been fighting without stop since the unit was formed in last August, and many of the officers had been serving way before that, a few, like the colonel, had even seen the very first shots of the whole conflict.

But Messner was right. There was still something left to defend, and it would be wrong to give up without at least making the enemies bleed for it. Maybe, just maybe, it would be possible to force some sort of deal if the final resistance was sturdy enough.

The meeting lasted for a few more minutes before everyone was dismissed and ordered to return to their posts. The 77th Panzergrenadiers would need to be ready to fight, regardless of their willingness, and actual ability, to do so. With his hands in his pockets, Martin followed Maria back to the motor pool. He was embroiled in his own thoughts and barely noticed when the girl greeted the sentinels as they passed by the gates.

"Now that we are here, I think you should come to see the squadron's HQ." Maria said, taking the young tank commander out of his digression. He stood there, in the middle of the motor pool, the sounds of the teams working on the tanks echoing around him. To his right his crew and some of the girls were occupied making the Hetzer roll down a makeshift ramp placed in the back of the heavy truck.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt." Martin finally replied. Then Maria flashed an incredibly sweet smile and gestured for him to follow. The young man shook his head, trying to subdue the soft warmth that suddenly grew on his cheeks. Yes, she was pretty, but he was a soldier, God-damn it! He had to keep his composure!

Swallowing thickly, he followed Maria to the old windmill dominating the farthest edge of the motor pool. As they passed by the wooden door it became evident to Martin that the place was incredibly Spartan, lacking almost any furniture and with the old stone walls showing some signs of decay. But such condition was to be expected from that kind of impromptu base. The first floor had a claustrophobic hall and two doors leading to small rooms. From behind the left door came young male voices, engaged in some sort of discussion. Between the doors, a simple wooden stair led to the second flood, and Martin followed Maria through there.

Apparently the squadron's office had been placed on the second floor, which was basically a single division with a small window behind a table in the farthest wall. A new set of stairs led to the third and last floor, but Martin didn't go there. Instead he straightened as the two girls sitting in chairs near the table turned to see who was coming. One of them was short, with her brown hair combed in twin pigtails. She leaned back on her chair and crossed her legs as Maria approached her. The other girl simply raised her head from the papers in her hands. She had dark shoulder-length hair and glasses.

"Who's that?" The short girl asked.

"It's Unteroffizier Martin," Maria replied, making a point of presenting the tanker with his first name, much to his embarrassment. "He's the commander of our new tank. He has also brought a surplus Hetzer with him, which means that you girls finally have a new panzer."

"Great!" The girl leaned forward, her feet dropping heavily on the wooden floor. A mischievous smirk spread across her face. "That means we can count with everyone for the next fight."

"You wouldn't like to be left behind on the next battle, now would you?" The girl with the glasses pointed out.

"Neither would you, Monica!"

Maria chuckled at their banter for a moment.

"Unfortunately the Hetzer is out of order." She told the other girls. "We will need to repair it if we want to give it any use."

The short girl waved dismissively at that remark.

"We still have some spare parts for the Marder. I think Ysabelle might be able to cook something up."

Martin considered her point. The Hetzer and the Marder III were both developed from the same chassis, the Czech-designed Panzer 38(t), and some automotive parts were indeed common among them, although not all. It was reasonable that some of their spares could be swapped between them, with some modifications that is. Maria nodded at the other girl. Then she indicated her comrades with her hand.

"Martin, this is Anja, my second-in-command, and this is Monica, who's acting as the squadron's officer of logistics."

"Nice to meet you." Anja replied, before moving on to more pressing matters. She brandished a bunch of papers. "We've been counting what we have, and we're running low on everything."

"Did the Oberst say when would we be getting new supplies?" Monica asked, giving the reports she was holding to Maria. The leader of the Baderberg Tank Squadron sat over the table and gave a quick look at the papers before replying.

"We won't. We'll need to make do with what we have." Maria sighed, obviously unhappy to bring in the bad news.

Anja snorted. "Oh, great! We are almost out of spares, the fuel has to be shared between the whole battalion, and we only have enough ammo for a skirmish, and only if it doesn't drag out for too long." She turned to Martin. "How much ammo did you brought?"

Surprised with her bluntness, Martin took a heartbeat to come up with a reply.

"A full load for both the Tiger and the Hetzer."

"Then use it carefully when the time comes, because we won't be receiving any more of those!"

Martin grimaced, and nodded back at the girl.

"On another note, do you know where you'll be lodged?" Martin shook his head, prompting Anja to continue. "Down there are two doors. The right one is the storage, the other is the men's room. I would advise you to go there and mark your spot. There isn't much space and those guys are quite territorial." Then she pointed to the ceiling with her index finger. "And none of you are allowed to go up there."

"It's the girls' room." Maria said once she noticed Martin's puzzled look.

"All right, then. If you allow, I would like to rejoin my men." Martin told Maria. "We still have much to do before we can consider ourselves settled."

The girl nodded at him, adding one of those adorable smiles of hers to the gesture. Again, the young man felt his cheeks getting warm.

"You're dismissed. In case you need anything just ask, all right?"

Martin saluted. "Yes… Führerin?"

The girls immediately returned to their discussion about the supplies and how to organize what they had left. Meanwhile, Martin got back to the first floor. Apparently the current occupants of the boys' room were still arguing. Martin didn't even give them the benefit of knocking the door; he immediately opened it, and looked inside. There were four teenagers there, apparently of the same age as the girls upstairs. One of them, a blond young man, wearied an Afrika Korps-pattern coat and officer's hat.

The room was quite small, barely enough to contain the youngsters that would be sleeping there. There was a window, covered with a mosquito net, so the air wouldn't get too stale. Even so the room was a mess, with papers and blankets spread all around. And even a 75mm AT round, Martin noticed.

"Who are you?" The blond boy asked.

"Unteroffizier Navrátilová. When were you conscripted?"

Stunned by Martin's command voice, the boys hesitated. The quickest to regain his composure was the blond one, which Martin assumed to be the leader.

"Two weeks ago. Why?"

"I'm in charge of this room now." Martin replied without preamble. "Prepare it to receive four more men. That's an order."

And then he closed the door and exited the windmill, giving the boys no time to react to his takeover.

When he reached the Tiger, the Hetzer had already been unloaded from the truck and now rested beside the Marder III, the engine cover open to allow the mechanical crew to look inside. Martin noticed Hössler was sitting on the top of the Tiger's turret, resting for a while. He decided to join him.

"So, how was it?" Hössler asked once Martin sat beside him. The gunner of the Tiger crew was just a few months younger than the commander, and was usually a calm and considerate person, so they did get along quite well.

"I'm still trying to figure that out."

"That good?" The gunner looked at the Hetzer, attracted by the excited giggles of the girls surrounding it. "Where have we ended up?"

On his turn, Martin couldn't help but glance at the windmill, still thinking about that Maria Nitzschmann girl.

"That's a good question. For now we're stuck here, anyhow."

"Just promise me one thing," Hössler turned his green eyes at his commander. "If you have the chance, I would like you to assume command of the squadron. I don't intend to get killed because of some overly-excited girls."

As soon as he finished that sentence, the girls nearby burst out laughing due to something one of them said or did. The crystalline laughter filled the air, and a soft breeze shook he canopies above. But Martin didn't reply, not immediately at least. He himself was at odds about what to even think about the whole situation. For now, he could only go along with it and see what would happen.