Episode 6: The Cover of Night

"Everything okay, Brook?" Cole asked.

"Yeah. Yeah… just thinking back. What's up?" Brooklyn asked.

"Nothing. You just got real quiet." Cole said with a smile.

"Always so nosey… but I guess that's what a husband does, right?" Brooklyn asked as she looked at something on her hand.

"Always." Cole said with a smile.

Carina turned away and looked back at the Pershing behind them, as the sound of buzzing filled the air. Carina guessed it was whoever was dropping the fuel to them, and she was right as an unfamiliar voice came over the radio.

"I'm aiming for the freshly plowed field. Keep clear."

Carina watched as several Stukas dropped six large crates into the field in front of them.

"All tanks, halt! The fuel has just been dropped, hurry and let's get what survived." Cole said as he watched the crates embed themselves into the soil slightly before the crates themselves collapsed from the strain of being airdropped.

Sliding off the Super Pershing, Carina saw Lucia climb out of the Pershing behind her and hurry off to help some of the men from the 506th with one of the drums. Getting an odd feeling, Carina decided it was time to open up to Lucia about something she had been hiding.

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"Heads up, we're halting."

Lucia almost fell to the turret floor as the Pershing ground to a halt. Steading herself, she saw Clarence smirking at her, while Earley just shook his head. Climbing out of the tank through the loaders hatch, Lucia could make out several containers scattered in the field. Picking herself out of the tank, she joined the group of men headed toward the crates.

"Get this fuel loaded! We need to move! The fleet has begun the assault without us! Remember the goal here people!"

Lucia heard Cole's order, and hurried toward a group of men from the 506th who were moving a drum toward one of the CCKWs. As they moved toward the truck, one of the men tripped over a rock that was poking up from the ground. Lucia yelped as the edge of the drum started to cut into her hands.

"Sorry!" The private said, getting up from the ground, "Kind of hard to see what's on the ground in the dark."

Handing the drum of fuel to the men in the back of the truck, Lucia turned back to the field, and came face to face with Carina.

"Lucia, kann ich mit dir reden?"

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"Scheiße!"

The young Iron Blood tanker watched his commander kick a piece of debris on the side of the road. Their vanguard was gone, and whoever did it had gotten away.

"Kommandant, ich habe unseren informanten im funk". The radioman said, popping his head up from his hatch in the hull.

"Was sagt er?" The commander growled, walking back to the prototype Tiger B.

"Er meldet eine beträchtliche feindliche streitmacht, die sich auf Wilhelmshaven zubewegt." The radioman said, before adding, "Könnten diejenigen sein, die unsere vorhut angegriffen haben."

"Ich will vollgas richtung Wilhelmshaven. Wir können diesen eindringlingen nicht erlauben, Lady Alpha zu erreichen." The commander said, settling into his seat in the turret. "Fahrer voraus vollgas."

"Jawohl!" The driver called, throwing the driving levers forward.

The young gunner was thrown back in his seat as the TIger lurched forward. When they caught up to the enemy forces, he would make sure none of them were left standing.

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"Carina…" Lucia started, before trailing off.

Carina gave a sad smile before brushing some of Lucia's hair away from her eyes. The two girls stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, reflecting on the oddity of their relationship.

"Was ist es?" Lucia asked, seeing the look on Carina's face.

"Uns. Du bist das perfekte Bild dessen, was Hitler für die Herrenrasse hielt. Hier bin ich, das genaue Gegenteil, irgendwie ironisch, finden sie nicht?" Carina said, intertwining her hand with Lucia's.

Lucia looked down at the ground, then back up at Carina. Overhead, the stars twinkled as if to signal their approval. Carina looked back at Lucia, who smiled in return. Bringing her other hand up to her friend's face, Carina caressed Lucia's cheek, earning her a blush she could barely make out in the starlit night.

"Ich liebe dich so sehr Lucía." Carina whispered, leaning forward.

"Ich liebe dich auch Carina." Lucia whispered back, bringing her own hand up to Carina's face.

The two Iron Blood girls who had seen and lost so much in the past six years, the past five months especially, shared a kiss under those cold January stars. Lucia melted in Carina's arms, while Carina felt the happiest she had been in years. Breaking apart only when their lungs screamed for oxygen, the two stared at each other until Carina broke the silence.

"Ich wünschte, die Dinge könnten für immer so bleiben." Carina whispered, still caressing Lucia's cheek.

"Ich auch, nun ja, abzüglich der Sirenen." Lucia said with a slight giggle.

The two girls quietly stood under the night sky as the stars twinkled above them. Noone else existed in that moment but each other. As a slight breeze ruffled their hair, Carina could see something in Lucia's eyes.

"Was ist es?" Carina asked.

"Warum erzählst du mir das?" Lucia asked, "Hätte es nicht bis nach der Razzia warten können?"

Carina sighed before replying in almost a whisper.

"Ich... ich habe das Gefühl, wenn ich es dir jetzt nicht sage, werde ich nie wieder eine Chance bekommen, dir zu sagen, wie ich mich fühle."

Tears began to leak out of Carina's eyes, and Lucia wiped them away with her thumb.

"Hey, wir werden viel Zeit miteinander haben. Sobald wir die Sirenen schlagen." Lucia said to Carina, who simply nodded her head.

The two brought their heads together and rested their foreheads against each other, before kissing again.

"You two ready to go?" Cole said, walking around from the front of the truck.

Carina and Lucia broke apart, their cheeks bright red.

"We were kind of having a moment here." Lucia said, while Carina sheepishly looked at the ground.

"I can see that." Cole said in an understanding tone, "However, we're moving out and unless you two want to be left behind, I suggest you find a tank. I don't want to lose the two people who know this area best."

Carina nodded, and pulled Lucia to the lead Pershing. Climbing onto the back, Carina turned around and helped Lucia up. Sitting with their heads resting against the turret, the two of them would intertwine their hands and Carina would rest her head against Lucis shoulder.

Lucia rested her own head on top of Carina's, and she would let out a small sigh of content. As the Pershing began to roll forward, Carina would whisper the words she had held back for so long for the second time that night.

"Ich liebe dich Lucia."

"Ich liebe dich auch Carina, Ich liebe dich auch."