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The shipyard where the Hindenburg was kept was completely secure. An eight foot high barbed-wire fence surrounded the perimeter. There were two entrances, a front entrance and a slightly less prominent one on the east side of the compound. Both were heavily guarded, and only crewman were allowed in. There was no way an outsider could just stroll in and get on a blimp.
But that didn't mean it wasn't going to happen. Indy, Han, and Leia were half a mile away from the complex, in a small restaurant, awaiting the arrival of their contact. None of them were calm enough to eat, so they simply sat drinking coffee.
The door opened and a young, sandy-haired Nazi of about 25 entered. His blue eyes scanned the room until he spotted Dr. Jones and company seated around a table in the corner. He casually walked over, trying not to make his gait seem too urgent. "Gutentag, Herr Jones," he said.
Indy shook the man's hand, "Gutentag, Herr Spehl." He returned the greeting.
"Wer sind Ihre Freunde?" Erich asked, indicating Han and Leia.
"This is Han Solo, and this is Leia Organa," Indy introduced them. From the somewhat puzzled looks on Han and Leia's faces, Indy decided he needed to explain some things. "Han and Leia don't speak German. They're from out of the country," Indy told Erich.
Erich smiled a boyish smile, "I had gathered as much." he said with a heavy accent.
Indy waived a hand at the empty seat next to him, "Please, sit." Erich obliged. "Erich is a rigger board the German Airship 'Hindenburg.' He's going to get us aboard," Indy explained.
"Not all of Germany shared the Nazi view of world-domination. I for one disagree with their ways, but if we speak out we will quickly be silenced," Erich explained. "But I am happy to help in whatever other ways I can."
Indy nodded, "Erich, is everything ready?" he asked.
The young man replied, "Come this way." And the group followed him out the door. There was a German supply truck waiting outside. "You three can get in the cargo. But keep quiet. There are two uniforms for you," he nodded at Han and Indy who were standing next to each other. He started to climb into the truck, when he did a double take and looked back at the two men. He didn't say anything, but Indy and Han both knew what he was thinking. They played it down like they didn't notice anything unusual. Erich shook his head to 'clear' it, then silently climbed into the driver's seat. The three passengers climbed in the back.
"Do you think we should try to hide?" Han asked Indy as the truck began it's short trip.
"No, we'll just pretend we're crewmen. If they say anything to us, I'll do the talking," Indy said. Then he had another thought. "Leia, you're gonna have to stay hidden, though. There aren't any female crew members."
"Figures," Leia grumbled as she crawled under a blanket on the floor. "stupid male-dominance, conquer the galaxy fodder."
By the time they had reached the base, Han and Indy were fully dressed in Nazi Stormtrooper attire, right down to the hats which they kept low over their eyes to avoid being spotted. Their former garments were stowed away in a bag on the floor. The truck slowed to a stop when they reached the gate.
An officer there stopped them. He came alongside Erich. "Geben Sie Irl Geschäft an," the officer demanded to know Erich's business.
"Mannschaftsmitglied Spehl, habe ich Zubehör für den Hindenburg," without missing a beat, Erich stated his completely legitimate reason for entering the base, his authorized run for supplies. He had brought in the supplies, all right. He had just brought a few extra things with him as well.
The officer circled around to the back. He pushed aside the canvas and peered inside. What he saw was the supplies, along with two crew members.
"Sie sind auch Mannschaft?" the officer questioned the two men inside.
Indy and Han exchanged a glance, then Indy replied, "Ja. Wir sind Köche."
The officer looked around the truck once more. Han held his breath. If this didn't work...
Finally, the officer waved them on. "Bewegen sie sich entlang," he said. The truck slowly pulled away and entered the airbase.
Han let out a ragged breath, "That was too close. It's a good thing you speak German, Indy."
Indy shrugged. "Not too difficult. He asked if we were crew and I just told him we were cooks," he clarified.
"Good thing he didn't ask you to make anything," Leia said, sitting up from her hiding spot, "or our cover would have been blown." She smoothed her hair back, which was held in a tight bun. She was wearing combat fatigues, and was having somewhat of a flashback to the Battle of Endor. She appraised Han's new attire. "Nice hat," she said. "Who are you supposed to be, Piett?" she noted the similarities between the Nazi uniforms and the one the late Admirals of the Empire had worn.
"Nah, he's dead, remember?" Han said, "We blew him to the cosmos and back."
Leia laughed. "That's right. Where are we going from here?"
Indy was going to answer that he wasn't sure, when Erich answered, "From here I drop you off, and wish you luck." he said, stopping the truck. "I would join you, but as I said, there are some for whom adventure is meant and some who are meant to stay behind the lines. And I would like to keep my job."
The three passengers unloaded from the back of the truck. Indy grasped Erich's hand, "Good luck. Thank you." Erich drove off, leaving Han, Leia, and Indy standing outside a large hangar. "Well boys and girls, this is it," Indy said. "Inside that hangar is our one good chance at getting your ship back in the sky so you two can go home. We're lucky to have made it this far. Now," he paused. "Now comes the fun part."
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The shipyard where the Hindenburg was kept was completely secure. An eight foot high barbed-wire fence surrounded the perimeter. There were two entrances, a front entrance and a slightly less prominent one on the east side of the compound. Both were heavily guarded, and only crewman were allowed in. There was no way an outsider could just stroll in and get on a blimp.
But that didn't mean it wasn't going to happen. Indy, Han, and Leia were half a mile away from the complex, in a small restaurant, awaiting the arrival of their contact. None of them were calm enough to eat, so they simply sat drinking coffee.
The door opened and a young, sandy-haired Nazi of about 25 entered. His blue eyes scanned the room until he spotted Dr. Jones and company seated around a table in the corner. He casually walked over, trying not to make his gait seem too urgent. "Gutentag, Herr Jones," he said.
Indy shook the man's hand, "Gutentag, Herr Spehl." He returned the greeting.
"Wer sind Ihre Freunde?" Erich asked, indicating Han and Leia.
"This is Han Solo, and this is Leia Organa," Indy introduced them. From the somewhat puzzled looks on Han and Leia's faces, Indy decided he needed to explain some things. "Han and Leia don't speak German. They're from out of the country," Indy told Erich.
Erich smiled a boyish smile, "I had gathered as much." he said with a heavy accent.
Indy waived a hand at the empty seat next to him, "Please, sit." Erich obliged. "Erich is a rigger board the German Airship 'Hindenburg.' He's going to get us aboard," Indy explained.
"Not all of Germany shared the Nazi view of world-domination. I for one disagree with their ways, but if we speak out we will quickly be silenced," Erich explained. "But I am happy to help in whatever other ways I can."
Indy nodded, "Erich, is everything ready?" he asked.
The young man replied, "Come this way." And the group followed him out the door. There was a German supply truck waiting outside. "You three can get in the cargo. But keep quiet. There are two uniforms for you," he nodded at Han and Indy who were standing next to each other. He started to climb into the truck, when he did a double take and looked back at the two men. He didn't say anything, but Indy and Han both knew what he was thinking. They played it down like they didn't notice anything unusual. Erich shook his head to 'clear' it, then silently climbed into the driver's seat. The three passengers climbed in the back.
"Do you think we should try to hide?" Han asked Indy as the truck began it's short trip.
"No, we'll just pretend we're crewmen. If they say anything to us, I'll do the talking," Indy said. Then he had another thought. "Leia, you're gonna have to stay hidden, though. There aren't any female crew members."
"Figures," Leia grumbled as she crawled under a blanket on the floor. "stupid male-dominance, conquer the galaxy fodder."
By the time they had reached the base, Han and Indy were fully dressed in Nazi Stormtrooper attire, right down to the hats which they kept low over their eyes to avoid being spotted. Their former garments were stowed away in a bag on the floor. The truck slowed to a stop when they reached the gate.
An officer there stopped them. He came alongside Erich. "Geben Sie Irl Geschäft an," the officer demanded to know Erich's business.
"Mannschaftsmitglied Spehl, habe ich Zubehör für den Hindenburg," without missing a beat, Erich stated his completely legitimate reason for entering the base, his authorized run for supplies. He had brought in the supplies, all right. He had just brought a few extra things with him as well.
The officer circled around to the back. He pushed aside the canvas and peered inside. What he saw was the supplies, along with two crew members.
"Sie sind auch Mannschaft?" the officer questioned the two men inside.
Indy and Han exchanged a glance, then Indy replied, "Ja. Wir sind Köche."
The officer looked around the truck once more. Han held his breath. If this didn't work...
Finally, the officer waved them on. "Bewegen sie sich entlang," he said. The truck slowly pulled away and entered the airbase.
Han let out a ragged breath, "That was too close. It's a good thing you speak German, Indy."
Indy shrugged. "Not too difficult. He asked if we were crew and I just told him we were cooks," he clarified.
"Good thing he didn't ask you to make anything," Leia said, sitting up from her hiding spot, "or our cover would have been blown." She smoothed her hair back, which was held in a tight bun. She was wearing combat fatigues, and was having somewhat of a flashback to the Battle of Endor. She appraised Han's new attire. "Nice hat," she said. "Who are you supposed to be, Piett?" she noted the similarities between the Nazi uniforms and the one the late Admirals of the Empire had worn.
"Nah, he's dead, remember?" Han said, "We blew him to the cosmos and back."
Leia laughed. "That's right. Where are we going from here?"
Indy was going to answer that he wasn't sure, when Erich answered, "From here I drop you off, and wish you luck." he said, stopping the truck. "I would join you, but as I said, there are some for whom adventure is meant and some who are meant to stay behind the lines. And I would like to keep my job."
The three passengers unloaded from the back of the truck. Indy grasped Erich's hand, "Good luck. Thank you." Erich drove off, leaving Han, Leia, and Indy standing outside a large hangar. "Well boys and girls, this is it," Indy said. "Inside that hangar is our one good chance at getting your ship back in the sky so you two can go home. We're lucky to have made it this far. Now," he paused. "Now comes the fun part."
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