This chapter was first published: 08-26-16 - Updated and re-written by the talented Rodsantos on January 15th, 2021. Rodsantos is currently working on the brilliantly written "Operation Eclipse". If you like the flow of this chapter re-write then you'll like the adventures of Colonel Harry Bedford of the 82nd Airborne set in the world of Avatar.

Gleiwitz Part 1

German Embassy, Warsaw — August 30th, 8:00pm

An uncertain silence had settled over Warsaw. For months, the steadily-growing tension had slowly seeped into daily life until it was impossible to ignore. As the military filtered in to garrison the city, lining every block with checkpoints and sandbags, the people had followed suit. Once the sun set, they barricaded themselves in their own homes.

Now the once-busy roads were populated only by the occasional pair of headlights from the roving Army patrols, and the vibrant nightlife had been replaced by darkened windows and deserted storefronts. The lack of activity was disquieting, to say the least, but tonight, it suited their purposes just fine.

The staff car swept through the vacant streets of downtown, journey uninterrupted as they drew ever closer to their destination. Pearl, Darren, and Adelajda were wedged in the back, with Colonel Oziewicz up front beside the driver.

Absently, Pearl adjusted the collar of her dress uniform, mentally running through the plan one final time. The mission was straightforward: Entering the embassy under the guise of a diplomatic visit, they were to recover any information they could find about upcoming German moves, slipping away before being discovered.

Piece of pie, she groused to herself. Yeah, right. Too bad Office 2 was busy tonight, or else they wouldn't be here.

The car pulled up beside an imposing stone building. A large soldier clad in impeccable green-gray pulled the passenger doors open; Pearl, Darren, and Oziewicz stepped out onto the curb. The unmistakable flag of the hooked cross loomed over them, fluttering from the staff atop the roof. They had arrived on enemy territory.

Pearl scowled at the symbol. Back in Tibet it represented the kind god Buddha and was proudly displayed on the ancient Ngor Temple. Old, happier memories surfaced of Chodak teaching them about earth customs and her teaching them about the stars above. Tonight however it was more clear than ever the Reich had appropriated it for their own purposes, twisting it into a symbol of intolerance and hatred pressing down on the civilians of the city.

A slight huff from Darren brought her back to the present and their mission. Old memories had to wait for later.

Oziewicz marched purposefully up to the embassy door, formal officers' cape fluttering in the wind. Pearl followed behind a little stiffly. Her uniform wasn't nearly as comfortable and easy to move around in as her field wear, though she did like the way it made her look in the mirror. Adelajda had been happily tittering around her all afternoon helping with makeup, hair, all while awkwardly avoiding conversation about the stone lodged in her forehead.

Ascending the steps, she took a subtle glance behind herself before following the Colonel and Darren indoors. The car had left them behind, with the driver instructed to park around the corner and await their return. Adelajda and her radio would wait with him, with Captain Latkowski and the police at the other end of the line in case of disturbances.

Across the street was additional backup. On the bench by a streetlamp, two men shared a cigarette, faces hidden by the evening post. Meeting her gaze, George gave her the tiniest of nods before returning to his paper. Up on the roofline of the office building behind them was James and his rifle, nearly invisible as he lay where the light met shadow.

Pearl was last into the building before the door was shut behind them. The small group were now in the lobby, a sleek and austere hall which presented a face of cold efficiency to the visitors. On the white walls hung paintings of epic battles, all great feats of Germanic arms. To her left was Teutoburg Forest, when the warring tribes had united to annihilate three Roman legions, and the far wall held a depiction of the Prussian charge to turn the tide at Waterloo.

"Welcome, Colonel Oziewicz," greeted a young man from behind the front desk. His English was harshly-accented, but fluent. "What brings you to our lovely Embassy tonight?"

Darren stepped forward confidently, presenting his identification card for inspection. "We're here to see Ambassador von Moltke. We will be discussing the treatment of British civilians residing in Polish territory."

"Welcome, Corporal Williams," acknowledged the desk officer, "Down the hall to the left, third door on the right. Herr von Moltke is expecting you."

"Good sir, could you please direct me to the women's room? I need to freshen up." Pearl leaned on the desk, batting her eyelashes at the young man. Acting unthreatening was annoyingly easy. She'd had more than enough experience at it in the Diamond courts.

"Certainly, Madam. Same direction but on the floor above. The first floor lavatory is under repair at the moment." With a dismissive gesture in the direction of the washroom, the man returned to his tasks.

"Perfect, Pearl," muttered Darren once they were down the hall and out of earshot. "The target office is also on the first floor. Just pretend to—"

"I know what to do," she hissed in reply. "This isn't my first time infiltrating a place like this and I remember the layout of this building, same as you."

Darren motioned for Oziewicz to go on ahead, then grabbed Pearl by the arm. His voice dropped into an annoyed whisper. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but an attitude like that will put us all—"

Two German soldiers rounded the corner, deep in an animated conversation. Darren instantly released her and leaned against the wall, trying to give out a casual air.

"Warum müssen Sie jeden grammatikalischen Fehler lernen?"

"Es ist wichtig, richtig zu sprechen, warum? Weil ich an die Reinheit unserer schönen Sprache glaube, um Barbarei zu verhindern." The second soldier eyed Pearl and Darren suspiciously, then saw Oziewicz heading towards the ambassador's office and forced a polite smile. "Woop, verzeiht uns. Guten abend."

The two Germans continued to bicker as they turned into the stairwell and began climbing towards the next floor. Darren waited until the sound of their disagreement faded away before he continued his admonishments, but Pearl cut him off before he could open his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Darren. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's my fault for being so sensitive." She held up her hands in apology. "In a past life, I worked at this big manor. They didn't treat their staff well. For a moment, I...I felt like I was slipping back into being that meek servant again. I promise you, it won't come up again."

"All right," Darren sighed. "Let's focus on the mission, shall we? Up the stairs with you. You've got maybe half an hour before they start wondering what's happened to you and come looking. You know where to find us when you're done."

He gave her a curt nod, then turned on his heel to follow Oziewicz. Pearl went for the stairs, taking them two at a time, but was careful to tread lightly.

The intelligence office was easy to get into. The door was exactly where the briefing had said it was, and it had fortuitously been left unlocked. Actually finding the motherlode, however, proved to be far more difficult.

Tearing the place apart would have been the fast approach, but doing that would leave a very suspicious mess behind and was therefore out of the question. She needed to be slow and methodical.

Carefully, she combed every inch of the office. She flipped through a few of the files piled on the metal desk (unremarkable dossiers on figures in the Polish government), crawled to check under the table, sorted through the metal bookshelf (which included a collection of Schiller poetry but no valuable intel), and even unhooked a copy of a Friedrich painting to search for a hidden panel. Nothing.

She stood at the center of the room, mind awhirl. The clock on the wall continued its inexorable march, marking the seconds which were slipping through her fingers. Darren and Oziewicz had been in their meeting for twenty minutes. She was running out of time.

It had to be here. Office 2 had been certain of it. She couldn't go back empty-handed, couldn't let her team down. She glanced at the documents on the desk, ready to scoop them all up and stuff them into her gem for later sorting, mess be damned.

She heard the off-tune humming too late. The walls were thick, and she had been distracted. The office door swung open with a heavy thump. A young officer stood before her, a fresh cigarette perched between his lips and a lighter frozen halfway to his mouth.

They stared at each other in stunned silence for a long while, neither daring to make the first move. Pearl waited for him to take a chance, to fight or make a break for it. He seemed to be watching for her to do the same.

A disarming smile spread across Aldebert Fischer's face, finally breaking the stalemate. "Bottom desk drawer, left side. Keep pulling past the end-bump. The combination is four-eight-two-two-five-four. You'll find what you're looking for."

He stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. Pearl stiffened suspiciously as he reached into a cabinet, but he only came out with a decanter of amber scotch and two glasses. Taking the chair in front of his desk, he poured out the drinks and pushed one towards her.

"A pleasure seeing you again." Aldebert swilled the scotch in his glass, relaxing against the back of the chair. "I was sure our paths would cross again, but I didn't anticipate that it would be like this."

Pearl downed the beverage in one gulp. The liquid burned in her throat, and a slight wince betrayed her impassive expression. She kept her eyes locked on Aldebert, even as she twisted the dial of the safe to the correct combination.

Her eyes flitted to the door, then to the holster at Aldebert's hip. If she made a break for it now, she could easily overwhelm him.

"You need to give it a good pull," explained Aldebert, motioning towards the drawer with his free hand. "The cursed thing always sticks. The wood expands when the weather turns humid like this, you see."

Pearl gave the handle a hard tug. It squeaked open, and she peered inside, momentarily taking her eyes away from the officer. The small compartment was stuffed with maps, documents, and notes, written in a mix of German and Polish.

Aldebert absently drummed his fingers on the desk. "Pray tell, Pearl. How did you wind up here? How have you gone from puttering around Delaware to infiltrating our embassy with the English?"

"I could ask you the same question, you know. Last I heard, you and your minions were heading home to be with your families."

"Orders are orders. For I as much as you, or else neither of us would be here. Is that not true?"

"So why are you telling me where the documents are?" Aldebert was being too coy for her taste. "You're not stalling for time, are you?"

"There's nothing useful in them for you. They're mostly orders of battle. Compositions of Polish formations, unit positions, files on ranking officers, and the like. Your side knows everything about them already. What you want simply doesn't exist anymore. That information has all been cabled to Berlin, and the documents have since been burned."

"So we came here for nothing?" She leafed through the documents from the drawer in dismay. Aldebert was telling the truth; there was nothing here about German plans.

"I'm afraid so." Aldebert shrugged in mock sympathy. "Oh, by the way, Colonel Oziewicz and your Corporal Williams are finished with their meeting. I believe they're waiting for you downstairs. I imagine they're quite irritated."

Pearl moved to brush past him, but Aldebert held up his hand to stop her. "Seeing as your cover is already blown, and that the time for your mission has already long elapsed, I was hoping you would stay for a few questions."

"Step aside, Fischer."

He ignored the threat, seemingly unconcerned. "The other day, I happened to read an interesting report from one of our field researchers, written by a certain Untersturmführer Ernst Schäfer. He had recently returned from an expedition in Tibet. Do you happen to know him?"

Pearl tensed up, preparing her body for a fight, though outwardly she remained still. It was an advantage of her physiology. Without the telltale movement of muscles that would've given away an organic being's intentions, she could strike before he even knew he was under attack. But for the second time, she held back. How much did the man know?

"Anyway, the report held a detailed description of a woman. As it happens, she had an eerie resemblance to you. She was with three companions. I wonder, how did you four get from a Tibetan mountaintop to Beach City so quickly? It took our man months on end to return from his journey."

Her mind was working on overdrive, trying to come up with some kind of counter, anything to convince him that he was wrong, that it had been someone else up at that temple.

"I seem to have hit a nerve," Aldebert observed. "Well, what really cinched it was the monster Schäfer wrote of. The beast seemed to be capable of shapeshifting, which your friend—Amethyst, yes?—demonstrated quite clearly on the night we tried to enter your home. I can only conclude that you and your friends are not human, and clearly have access to advanced technology."

Pearl made her decision, and with it, a plan of action. Putting aside her worries, she reached into herself and pulled her training back back to the forefront of her mind. "Fine, I'll admit it. You're right. But before you get any ideas, know this. Even if you managed to get your hands on our technology, it would never work for you. It doesn't respond to humans. And no matter how hard you try, I'll never tell you anything more."

"I'm sure we can figure something out. You'll tell us what's inside the door of your cave, and you'll help us figure out how to use your fancy toys." He threw his head back, draining the rest of his scotch.

"How can you be so confident of that?"

"While you were rummaging through my files in the drawer, I pressed a panic button to alert the guards. They're on their way as we speak."

She glanced down. On the desk was a silvery button, which had been covered earlier by the stack of files. He must have surreptitiously pushed it in the few seconds she had been occupied

Aldebert drew his Luger, levelling the handgun's muzzle was straight at her chest, One hit, and she would be helpless for stars-knew-when. She wasn't designed for combat. Her physical form wouldn't withstand a bullet.

"Please sit. I'd like to think that we're on good terms, and I'd rather not shoot you. I'll even spare your friends downstairs. They're free to leave. You're the only one of interest here."

There was no more time. In the corridor outside, heavy footfalls thudded on the tiles, growing louder by the second. The tension built up in her body surged to the fore, unleashing centuries of combat experience. It all seemed to happen in slow motion.

One... Her right hand shot out, sharply grasping Aldebert's wrist. She forced his arm down, twisting it towards the floor. He growled, straining for the trigger. The crack of pistol shots reverberated through the office, almost mind-shatteringly loud, and two bullets buried themselves in the tiled floor.

Two... She brought her opposite fist around, landing a vicious left hook to his chin. Aldebert took the hit full-on and crumpled, bouncing off the office chair on his way down. His pistol clattered against the floor.

Three... The office door crashed open. Two soldiers, the same men arguing in the hall earlier, burst in with weapons at the ready. One advanced with his handgun drawn; the other stood behind him, hurriedly racking the bolt of his Mauser rifle.

Four... Pearl's fingers closed around the neck of the decanter, swinging it straight into the face of the man with the handgun. It shattered against his skull, splashing amber liquid everywhere, and the soldier fell away.

Five... The one in the doorway had a clear shot, and he knew it. He already had his finger on the trigger when Pearl lunged. She barely got her hands on the rifle in time, shoving the barrel towards the ceiling. It discharged with another deafening report, adding to the cacophony of abuse which her sensitive hearing had already taken.

Six… Her fist found the rifleman's kidney, connecting with a savage blow. He sagged to the ground facefirst, groaning in pain landing awkwardly on top of his weapon.

Seven...eight...nine….ten…. Pearl knelt by the unconscious Aldebert, hurriedly searching his pockets. Figuring that they might be of some use, she relieved him of his billfold and notebook. Gathering the files from the drawer, she stuffed the night's haul into a nearby briefcase then hurriedly shoved any document on the desk she could grab into her pockets. She'd almost stuffed more random documents into her Gem but there wasn't enough time to activate the pocket dimension and the window for escape was rapidly closing.

A quick check outside confirmed that the hallway was still clear, though she could hear the alarmed shouts of enemy reinforcements rapidly growing louder.

Case in hand, she took off down the corridor.

~{0}~

At his station across the street, James gripped his rifle. He had been watching the embassy facade, and had seen the light come on in the second-floor office window. Pearl's shadow flitted behind the closed curtain for half an hour, and everything had seemed to go smoothly. Until a second silhouette joined hers in the room.

Three gunshots later and the entire building was alive with activity. The electric jangling of an alarm bell echoed along the street, and flashlight beams played around the courtyard as armed guards began shuffling from posts to respond.

Around the block, an engine sputtered to life. Oziewicz's staff car came off the curb, rolling towards the front entrance. Down to James' right, George and Frank still perused their newspapers, but both had their service revolvers on their laps, ready for instant action.

"Come on, Pearl," James muttered. "You can do it. Please come out in one piece."

~{0}~

"What's all this?" demanded Oziewicz. Four soldiers had just sprinted past them with weapons raised, rushing through the lobby and into the hall. Everyone in the lobby had heard the shots but he feigned ignorance in a bid to buy time.

Despite the hubbub, the man behind the front desk remained unperturbed. "One of our offices has reported a break-in, Colonel. For your own safety, we would like for you and Corporal Williams to depart."

Darren crossed his arms. "And my aide? We're not leaving without her."

"She is the prime suspect, Corporal. Our men are searching for her right now. You may leave, but she will be detained once we find her."

"We're not going anywhere."

"Leave at once." The civility instantly disappeared from the desk officer's voice, and his hand lowered to his holster. "If you do not depart now, we will be forced to—"

Darren was quicker. He grabbed the heavy record book from the desk and swung it into the man's jaw. A second blow down to the back of his head put him out cold, and the pistol fell out of his hand.

"Pearl's in trouble." He offered the pistol to Oziewicz. "We've got to go help her."

~{0}~

Eleven... She tapped into her abilities, feeling the power course through her. The hallway turned to a blur as she surged forward, briefcase clutched under one arm.

She was an arm's length from the staircase when a soldier whipped around the corner. He never knew what hit him. Without a moment's hesitation, she lowered her shoulder, driving forcefully into his chest. He staggered backwards, flailing at thin air as he glanced off the hand railing and tumbled back down towards the ground floor, plowing through two more of his comrades who had just started to climb up towards her.

Twelve... On the landing below, a soldier raised his rifle. Just in time, she ducked down towards the steps for cover. CRACK! A round snapped past her. Time for a new plan.

Pearl vaulted the banister, plunging the nine-foot drop to the landing. She slammed into the surprised soldier, caught mid-reload, and they toppled to the floor together with the sound of bones crunching. He had taken the worst of the fall.

Thirteen... There was no time to check on him. As the two other relatively unharmed men in the stairwell began struggling to their feet, she grabbed the handle of the briefcase and ran for it. The cold lights of the lobby lay ahead of her, and freedom just beyond. She launched herself at full sprint, the hallway seemingly growing longer and longer with every footfall.

"Halt!" The clatter of hobnailed boots echoed behind her. "Halt oder wir werden schiessen!"

Fourteen... She heard the sound of a round being chambered behind her and flung herself to the floor, painfully skidding the last few feet into the lobby. A burst of machine pistol fire whizzed overhead.

Fifteen... An arm grabbed hers, pulling her upright and around the corner. It was Oziewicz, armed with a Luger.

Sixteen... The Polish officer leaned sideways, letting off five shots at the soldiers. None hit, but the ricocheting rounds forced both Germans to duck for shelter and momentarily halt their advance.

Seventeen... "She's here!" Oziewicz bellowed.

"Feuerschutz!" Having recovered from the shock of being shot at, the Germans realized that they were only facing a single man with a handgun. The soldier with the machine pistol dropped to one knee, while his partner began rushing down the corridor towards them.

Eighteen... Oziewicz jerked his head back as another barrage of gunfire came from the hallway, plastering the far wall with bullet holes. "Williams, we need to leave now! They're coming!"

Nineteen... Still staring wide-eyed at her sudden arrival, Darren hurried to the door. A solid, adrenaline-fueled kick at its weak point broke the bolt free, and he threw it open, revealing the staff car idling by the curb and the driver desperately beckoning to them.

"Everyone out of here! Come on!"

Pearl was first outside, grateful to feel the cool air once more. She threw the precious briefcase in the back and positively leaped in after it, landing awkwardly on the upholstery. Darren hustled in after her, allowing Oziewicz to bring up the rear. Stumbling backwards out the door, the Pole fired thrice more, then threw the empty weapon aside and made a break for the car.

The passenger door slammed shut, and the tires squealed as they peeled off into the night. What Pearl last saw of the embassy were the two pursuing soldiers stumbling into the road, dejectedly watching them accelerate away into the distance.

~{0}~

James almost exploded with relief. The three who had entered the embassy had all left alive, speeding away back into the anonymity of downtown Warsaw. Now it was his turn to get clear.

As he lowered his rifle and began the low crawl back down off the roof, he glanced back down to the roadside bench. Frank was already gone, discreetly slipping away down a side street. George was still down there, no doubt mentally counting down the ninety-second interval before he could also leave.

Theirs would be a simpler escape. The German search parties now fanning out across the block would only see a civilian on his way home. If intercepted, James would need to explain away the rifle slung across his back.

He carefully shimmied down the rungs of the office building's fire escape, landing in a dark alley. Waiting carefully in the shadows, he looked up and down the street for any sign of detection. Nothing. Fritz was still searching the opposite side of the block, leaving him a clear window to egress.

Breathing a quiet thanks, he set off at a rapid pace, intent on putting as much distance between himself and the embassy as possible. It was a good quarter hour before he dared look back.

~{0}~

10:00pm

To say that Hans-Adolf von Moltke was furious would be an understatement. As Aldebert sat in his presence, an ice pack clutched to his swollen jaw, the Third Reich's ambassador to Poland read through the incident report with increasing frustration. By the time he had reached the end, a vein was pulsing on his forehead. He breathed deeply, clearly attempting to calm down.

"Let's review, shall we?" von Moltke forcefully slammed the stack of papers onto his desk, nearly making Aldebert jump out of his skin. "We have four guards in hospital, two with concussions and two with internal injuries, while the ground floor has enough bullet holes to fill a warzone. In addition, we are missing several non-critical, but nevertheless important documents, including several sensitive dispatches not yet disposed of. Does that sound correct to you, Hauptsturmführer Fischer?"

"But...I..." Aldebert swallowed hard, forcing himself to regain some composure. "Yes, Ambassador. All of that is true."

"Have you anything to say for yourself? You know full well what you have just jeopardized. I'm minded to have you thrown you aboard the first train back to Berlin in handcuffs and leave you to the mercies of your own department."

"Ambassador, please believe me when I say that there may yet be a silver lining in all this. We could still use tonight's incident to our advantage."

"What in God's name are you talking about?" von Moltke began pacing furiously, shaking the floor with every footstep.

"You've read my briefing on Corporal Pearl, yes? The woman with the British advisory team down in Skierniewice, the very same woman who was behind the attack earlier?"

"Yes, I do remember that report." The ambassador balled his fist and slammed it onto his desktop. "You posited that she wasn't human. I had little time for your bizarre fancies back then, and I have even less now."

"She essentially admitted as much to me, sir. What's more, she also confirmed that she has access to technology far exceeding our own. If we could only investigate the matter and find a way to harness it, there's no telling the heights our nation will reach."

"I assigned you to this posting on the Schutzstaffel's recommendation. They said that you had done well in America, and you would be most suited to this mission. I fail to understand how they came to those conclusions. All I see is a man obsessed with fairy stories." von Moltke pointed to the door. "Get out of my sight."

"There is one more reason, Ambassador, if you could only hear me out. The Pole you met tonight, Oziewicz. He and the Engländer, Williams, overpowered the desk officer and took his sidearm. Oziewicz himself used it to fire upon two of our responding soldiers as they attempted to apprehend the escaping Corporal Pearl."

The anger on von Moltke's face began to drain away, replaced by dawning realization.

"What that means, sir," continued Aldebert, eager to press his advantage, "is that a Polish officer aided in the robbery of our embassy, personally attacking three of our men in the process. We have eyewitness accounts and the weapon itself in our possession, the fingerprints on which we can match with those he left in this office. The SS itself couldn't have planned it so perfectly. Think of the leverage we have just been granted. Think of how easily we could justify the use of force."

"Do we not already have plans in place for that? Are you suggesting that we call them off?"

"No, sir. But we probably should move them forward. They may be able to discern our intentions from my notebook. Better not to chance it, and the end result will be the same anyway."

"You're a lucky man, Fischer." von Moltke settled into his plush office chair, meditatively lighting up a cigar. "You've saved your neck for now. Get to the radio room and signal for your agents to execute the plan at once. Dismissed."

~{0}~

Office 2 Headquarters, Warsaw — 11pm

"And that's about all of it," Pearl concluded. "Once we were out the door, we sped off and never looked back."

She was sitting in one of Office 2's conference chambers, now furnished like a war room. Large-scale maps of Poland, focusing particularly on the western frontier and on Warsaw, were tacked on one wall, with a collection of chalkboards, schedules, and notes dotted across the other. The squad was seated along one of the walls below the maps taking turns giving their reports. Darren was over at one of the tables reviewing documents, he was favoring his left leg due to his right foot still being a bit sore from kicking out the door lock at the embassy.

Down in the middle of the room was a long conference table, around which Pearl's squad were seated. Accompanying them were Oziewicz, Adelajda, and Captain Latkowski of the state police. As Pearl made her report, Major Edmund Charaszkiewicz, chief of Office 2, paced up and down in agitation. He was a tall man, strongly built from years of soldiering. He had a narrow face with a prominent mustache, and hard eyes which seems to dissect whoever he was looking at.

The military intelligence man halted his pacing in front of one of the maps. His eyes narrowed in contemplation for a moment, trying to calculate the implications of what he had just heard.

"Thank you all for coming," he finally said. "Our information may be thin, but it proves that the Germans are up to something. Whatever it is, it must be coming soon. Our signals men have noticed a significant uptick in communication between known German agents in this city and their masters back across the border.

"What we know is this. German forces are massing on three sides. Their recent pact with the Russians means that they can shift resources away from them and concentrate attentions on us."

"Have the analysts been able to get anything from the documents Pearl recovered? " inquired Darren as he browsed through mimeographs of some of the captured papers.

"Actually, Corporal, that brings me to the point of this gathering. We're not just here for a debrief, but also to agree upon our next action. The documents mention a place the name of Gleiwitz, a small border town. There's nothing much of interest there besides a major radio station. We also found a corresponding entry in that Major Fischer's notebook—by the way, good thinking to search his person, Lance Corporal. It mentions a date, 10th September. Judging by the activity at the border, they may have decided to change their plans and commence their attack immediately. Gleiwitz could well be targeted tonight."

"Are there any units available on site?" Darren asked.

"I'm afraid we don't have anyone available," replied Oziewicz, "All units are either arrayed along the border or posted at major installations. Nothing from our side. Jaroslaw, can the local police do anything if we radio a warning?"

Latkowski shook his head. "I'm afraid not. They're poorly armed and only have experience dealing with rural problems. German shock troops would slaughter them."

"Get us there and we'll stop them," declared Darren.

"The town is..." George inspected one of the maps closely. "...what, three hundred kilometers away? Over bad roads, too. We'd never make it by land."

"There has to be a way," protested Pearl. If only they had a dropship, like she had used during the Rebellion. But the humans didn't have anything remotely comparable. Unless... "Gentlemen, I think I may have a solution."

"What do you have in mind, Pearl?" prompted Darren.

She turned to her right. "Frank, the transport that brought us here. Is it airworthy?"

"Last I heard, they welded on some patches and managed to repair the damage from the storm. Christ, you're not thinking what I'm thinking, are you? "

"We're going to fly there," she announced. "It's the fastest way. The weather should be better than last time."

"But where would we land?" James countered. "The nearest airport is still miles upon miles away, and we'd still need to go overland to get there anyway."

"We jump. The aircraft has parachutes, right? The crew can use the onboard radio as a direction finder. Hopefully they can drop us right on top of the station. That'll give us the element of surprise."

The room had gone silent, as the assembled commandos and Polish representatives each took their time to work through the idea on their own. Gradually, each reached the same conclusion.

"We're going with her plan," announced Darren. "Squad, we're returning to Skierniewice for our equipment. Pack light, only food, water, weapons and ammunition. Make sure to bring your sidearms, too. We'll also need two shotguns loaded with SG buckshot, in case we need to breach a door. If we're going into a building, we'll need the right tools for close quarters. Any questions?

"No sir," chorused Pearl, James, George, and Frank in unison.

"Everyone to the motor pool, then. I'll be with you in fifteen minutes, once I've worked out the final details with the Poles."

~{0}~

Skierniewice, August 31st — 6:00am

As the sun came over the horizon, the once-lively base was nearly deserted. Packed to the rafters with men only a week ago, the barracks had been emptied, and the garages which had housed the trucks, armored cars, and tanks of two divisions now lay barren.

Throughout the day before, the units of the 13th and 29th Infantry had vacated the facility, scrambling piecemeal over the rural roads towards the border. No doubt their commanders were praying that they would arrive before it was too late. Only a token guard force of military police, some one hundred-fifty strong, remained to hold the fort.

In the squad's quarters, Pearl finished her final equipment check. As ordered, they were travelling light. The warm weather and populated deployment area meant that they could dispense with the tents and most of their food supply, other than a few emergency rations and their canteens. In their stead, they packed more ammunition for rifles and handguns both, spare batteries for flashlights, first-aid kits. Darren had even found room for several more maps, just in case.

While waiting for the others to finish, Pearl bummed a cigarette from her squad leader and sat herself down on the front step of the cabin. Taking her first deep drag, she blew out a long plume of gray smoke and watched it coil off in the wind. The few last few wisps disappeared in the direction of the oak forest which loomed beyond the camp perimeter.

It took her a while to realize what was different. The birds were singing in the trees. I'm the last few weeks, they had been frightened away by the constant rumble of machinery and the rattle of rifle fire by the practicing Polish troops. Today, they had returned in full voice to serenade the breaking dawn. Their song was a herald's trumpet, calling her once more to war.

Last night, that hadn't been war. It had almost been a game to her, so much like those playful rigmaroles dreamed up by Pink an eternity ago in that garden upon her lonely rock in space. Nobody had gotten hurt, and nothing had changed.

War was different. It was grim, it was cruel, and it altered the fates of all it touched. It was what she had broken with her comrades for. It was what she had come here to fight.

She took another puff on the cigarette, and her eyes caught a figure at the edge of the forest. Staring at the shadow among the trees, she hesitated. Then she threw the glowing stub down, grinding it into the dirt. What was she doing here? And of all times, why now?

The boys, still occupied with their packing, didn't notice her quietly slip away. She strode towards the treeline, fighting for the right words to say. Every day for the past nine months, she had dreaded and eagerly awaited this moment in equal measure. The only surprise was that it had come so soon.

"You're looking well, Pearl." Beneath the branches of a tall oak, Rose Quartz stood before her. She had shifted down to a more manageable form—an eight-foot-tall woman with an enormous pink sword buckled to her hip lingering at the edges of an army base would have caused quite a stir—but it was unmistakably, inimitably her.

Pearl nearly allowed herself to sink into Rose's warm embrace. Every one of her anxieties had rushed to the surface; she had abandoned her greatest friends to take up the flag of a nation that would never be hers, to face an unknown future alone. But she forced down her tears and steeled herself, pulling away her love's arms. She couldn't show weakness, not now.

Not that Rose held weakness in contempt. She admired the bravery to be vulnerable every bit much as martial prowess. It was one of the things Pearl loved most about her. But Pearl had never gone this far against her will before. Now was a time to show that she still held courage in her convictions, and that meant putting on a resolute facade.

"I've missed you all so much. I've been meaning to write, but it's been so hectic here. How's Beach City keeping?"

"Same old, sleepy town. I checked up on Deedee before I came here. Her business is doing well, but it's clear that she misses you nearly as much as Amethyst does. She tells me that you'd become quite the fixture in her life."

"When you get back, give her my regards. Tell her that I'll try to get a letter to her as soon as possible. I can't promise anything, though. It's getting bad out there. We're about to be deployed."

"I heard. Garnet's been having some increasingly disturbing visions. We never doubted your instincts about the war, but what she saw seems to confirm it further."

"Please, Rose, join me. It may be too late to stop it from happening, but if the Crystal Gems make their move now, we could end it before the suffering becomes too great."

"I can't do that, Pearl. You know I can't. I've conceded enough by allowing you to fight, but we cannot get involved in this."

"We're already involved in this! The Germans know about us! I was at their embassy yesterday—"

"I know, " Rose cut in. A hard edge had begun to creep into her voice, nearly bordering on rebuke. "Your stunt was understandable, but it didn't go unnoticed. I hold you to your oath, Pearl."

"You're right," Pearl apologized. "I shouldn't have done it, especially after I gave you my word. But what's done is done, and I swear it won't happen again. Anyway, at the embassy, I ran into Aldebert."

"The man who attempted to enter the Temple?"

"The one and same. He knows about us, and has a vague idea at minimum of what our technology can do. He read a report of what happened with Monk Chodak up in Tibet and put two and two together. Whether you like it or not, the Crystal Gems may end up being dragged into this regardless. At least let it happen on our own terms."

Rose shrugged. "Discovery was bound to happen eventually. Between Tibet and Amethyst's recklessness, it was only a question of when. Honestly, I thought the man already knew. That would've explained his great efforts to break in, at least. Thank you for the information, but I'm afraid it changes little. We'll be doubly careful in hiding our recovery missions, but that's all we'll be doing until the humans settle down."

"So why are you here, Rose?" demanded Pearl. "To scold me for what I did at the embassy? To remind me to keep my oath?"

"I'm here to offer you a way out, before all this madness begins. Come back with me." She offered her hand. "Help us make the world a safer place for the humans to return to, when they finally regain their senses."

"What if there won't be a world for them to return to?"

"They survived Homeworld's designs. They survived us. They'll weather this storm."

"I...I'm sorry, Rose." Pearl shook her head resolutely. "I can't take that risk. I won't let down my friends. What you want me to do is as unconscionable as it would've been had someone asked me to leave your side at the beginning of the Rebellion."

The statement seemed to cut Rose deeply. Lost for words, her eyes moved from Pearl to the men in the cabin, and then back again. After a while, she heaved a deep, final sigh.

"I knew deep down that there was no convincing you. That's one of the many things I love about you, my Pearl. You'll always remain steadfast for what you think is right."

"Oi, Pearl!" George shouted from the window. "Where the bloody hell are you? We're leaving in five minutes!"

She adjusted the straps of her combat harness. "That's my cue. I'd better get moving. So long, Rose."

"Goodbye." Rose gave her a warm, melancholic smile. "Remember this, my Pearl, no matter what happens out there. Home is always waiting for you."

~{0}~

Gliwice — 7:00am

Sergeant Alojzy's beloved grandmother had sadly passed in her sleep the previous night, or so stated the cablegram that the busboy had slipped under the door of his lodgings. It was no lie, bar for one little detail. The grandparent in question had died in 1921.

Setting the whisky glass down, Alojzy re-read the terse message for the fifth time with growing anticipation, making completely sure that it meant what he thought it did. By the time he had finished, there was no more doubt about it in his mind.

Execute with immediate effect.

The day was August 31st, 1939. By this time tomorrow, he would be a very rich man.

History Notes

* German Embassy in downtown Warsaw; the combination to the desk safe is based on the street address. Look it up in google maps.

* "Grandmother Died" was the code-word used to initiate the Gleiwitz raid

* Enigma machine - Introduced in the 1930s and updated throughout the war period; this encryption system was used by Germans to send encrypted radio messages over long distances.

* Hans-Adolf von Moltke - real person, was the German Ambassador to Poland at the outbreak of the war. He was involved in arranging "Polish War Guilt" as the invasion excuse.

* The two Germans encountered in the Embassy hallway are Grammar NAZIs

* Edmund Charaszkiewicz - Real person, he was a Polish military intelligence officer who specialized in clandestine warfare. During WW2 he had helped organize and run the Polish Resistance.

* Polish Office 2 - The Polish intelligence service; their version of the CIA or MI-6 groups

* Gleiwitz incident - One of the false-flag attacks by German operatives as an excuse to begin World War 2 with the invasion of Poland. Frustratingly I can't find a picture of the actual radio building; just the radio tower itself so I'm going to have to play the 'fiction card' and write my own.

* Radio direction finding - This is what Pearl will use to zero in on the location of the radio station. Basically if the signal gets louder you're moving closer; and weaker if moving away.