1943, Eastern front.
The frozen tundra of Russia leaves much to be desired, it is flat with little wildlife and the people who do live here a truly brave to stick it out in the middle of nowhere. A lone figuer stands on a hill overlooking this all, he is a young German sapper.
"Kurtis, Kurtis" someone cries, he turns to see his friend Erwin with two steaming cups in his arms.
"I thought you might be cold out here on watch, take one of these, the Italian's called them...what was it...oh yes, a cappichino, they say there better then coffee" he says handing him a mug as they both sat down to eat together.
"Kurtis, do you ever wounder if this is right? i understand defending the Fatherland, but we did invade this nationafter we had sighed a truce with them after all"
"Bah, these communist's would have stabbed us in the back at first chance Erwin, we are defending the Fatherland, just in advance" he said reasoning with his brother in arms.
"Besides, the last thing i want is my brother living under the boots of Communist rule, or as a slave to the jews"
"why must you be so loyal to that man, if you ask me he starts more battles then he can win, North Africa,here in Russia oh and that disater over the English channel, many men our dieng, and for what "?
"Adolf is our leader, have some faith in him, nothing comes without sacrifice, you know that" he said sipping the brew "this is better then coffee, send the Italian's my thanks"
"sometimes i wounder why we are friends if we never do agree on these things"?
"because i have saved your neck many times, after all, a hero like myself does need a man servant"
"Oh shut up Kurtis" he said throwing a ball of snow at the man. The both lauged at this, only for an explosion to cut through the air, breaking the peaceful nightime air.
"The camp"! Erwin yelled as they both ran full speed back to their home.
Planes droned overhead as dead and dieing lie about, many of the tents were in flames and every gun was trained to the sky.
"Witches! it's the night witches"! one trooper shouted as a bomber passed overhead, it's guns strafing men at an MG.
"Damn it, where the hell is the Luffwaffe"? Kurtis swore looking mover the carnage.
"INCOMING" someone yelled as a bomb screamed over head, landing with a force sending men flying.
"You don't scare me" Kurtis screamed, raising is Kar 98 at a passing bomber and firing to little effect.
"Perhaps we should find safer ground Kurtis" Erwin said as bombs went off all around.
"Yes, lets move" they both ran to a nearby truck and hid behind it as a fighter roared overhead.
Both men moved from cover to cover, avoiding the Russian planes when they could, they were moving towards the camps command bunker, a hastly dug thing fortifed with sandbags that housed the camps commander, in a time of crisis, he of all people would know what to do.
Using the light of burning tents and trucks the two found there way to the bunker, it had taken a derect hit and was caved in, crys for helpn could be heard from inside.
"we need to help them" Erwin said as the two entered what was left of the place, pulling out the wounded and dead.
One mans leg were gone at the knee and one's face was covered in burns, many would never fully recover from such wounds.
As Erwin pulled a wounded man out he spoke "Thank you, you always were good men" through his burned lips before he closed his eyes for the last time, they looked closer and saw it was the commander, he had three bullets in his chest and burns all over.
"Beasts, they used incendiary bombs, these men will have to live with these burns for the rest of there lives" Kurtis spat out in anger at such a method of attack.
Both men sat with there backs to a truck and looked at the fire as the planes engine's became softer and softer and soon only the crackel of the flames was heard.
"Sometimes i wounder why i joined" Erwin said in a glum tone looking down at his boots.
"Because the Fatherland called, and we answered that call"
"Maybe that's true"
(A whining is heard)
"whats that" Erwin asked standing as a plane blows by, its gun raining lead upon the camp.
"Damnit, Erwin see what mean, they attack even when we can't fight ba-" and only then did he see the crimson spreading across his friends chest
"k...K...Kurtis..,"he moaned out falling to his knee's. Kurtis jumped up and ran to him, holding his friend in his arms as he bleed in the cold night air.
"Its OK, we'll find a medic, just hold on..."
"I'm not going to make...tell my mother i did my best, and let her know i served alongside the greatest soldier i have had the honor of meeting" he coughed out giving his friend a smile.
"No, Erwin damit, don't you die on you bastard, i can't fight this thing with out you" he said with tears in his eyes, he and Erwin had fought together for almost a year, the had a bound.
"...and i'm sorry i died like this, maybe the next like will brig smething better ehh"?
"THERE WON"T BE A NEXT LIFE, I'LL FIND A MEDIC, HOLD ON DAMIT! he yelled at him as he closed his eyes.
"ERWIN! ERWIN! ERWIN! he screamed, sobbing in a mixure of sadness and anger.
"..."
As the sun rose at dawn, an officer found Kurtis, cradling his comrade in arms's body, sobbing.
"i'm sorry Kurtis,Erwin was one of of finest" he said somberly.
"I want him buried at home, not in this god forsaken place, it what he would have wanted"
"yes, it is the least we can do" he handed Kurtis a paper as he said this.
"What is this"?
"Russian propaganda, it was written in poorly done German and said the following.
German's let fear run through your hearts!
Last night the Night Witches struck you lines and will make you pay in blood for what you have done.
Lidia Litvyak, the Night Witches ace has added 20 of your countrymen to her kills.
Death is here Nazi's, it is in the air, and on the ground, we are all around you,
You will not escape us of are justice!
In that instant, i knew who to blame for this, he looked to the sky, raised my fists and yelled at the top of my lungs.
"LITVYAK!"
99th JFW's base, Europe, 1944.
Kurtis awoke in a cold sweat, he was having a nightmare, the memory of his time on the Eastern front, when he was still young and foolish. He had lost a friend that day, and it was the first of many things that showed him the true nature of this war.
"Why now, have i still never gotten over this"? he asked himself getting up, he had a tent on base as did Stan. Churchill said the Allied brass was sending someone to come and help them with there guests, but it would be a week before they got there, and with no Neurio expected to attack until the next week they had little to do, yes they could clean their weapons and train, but with this much time both soldiers needed to do something they rarely did on the front, relax.
Beside a few days in the rear for R&R, soldiers on both sides didn't speed much time relaxing, the good ones at least.
The girls of the 99th were happy to have a rest, fresh troops and supply's were being brought to the front and it was a welcome change.
"This is great, it's nice to have a little free time" Jenna said as most of the Witches just sat back put their feet up and rested.
...W...
The girl looked at her friend, the angelic look on her face as she slept made her smile. After the 501st was disbanded, with the Neurio hive of Gallia gone, there was little reason fro them to stay, they had all said their good byes and went their own ways, she and Sanya were heading for Ostmark to link up with a new JFW, the trip through Gallia was a little dangerous, but it would shave a week of their trip, at the moment they were in a supply truck, they were going to see if the local JFW would let them crash at their base.
The truck came to a halt and the driver looked into the back, "This is your stop ladys" he said smiling.
"Thank you" she said back as she and Sanya(who was starting to wake up, her internal clock was out of wack from all the night patroling) got out.
And made their way into the base, mostly just a few tents, a beat up runway and an old building, not the castle she was acoustom to.
Eila spotted a man in a Karlsland Uniform and flagged him down
"Do you know where i can find the witches on this...base"?
"Yes, just follow me" he said leading the way. They walked though the maze of tents to a lager one with a sigh.
99th JFW
He opened the flap and held it for them to go inside.
A women with dark brown hair in a Britanian Army uniform sat behind a desk.
"Good morning, I'm commander Churchill of the 99th Joint fighter wing, what can i do for you"?
"Umm hi, were from the 501st, we on are way to Ostmark, could we stop here for the night"?
"501st huh, yes you can, least i can do after you girls opened up this front for us"
"Thanks" she said shaking the woman's hand. The Karlslander handed them to mugs of of hot chocolate, "Kurtis Yeager, German Army"
"German, is that in Karlsland?" Eila asked him, he sounded like a Karlslander after all.
"Something like that"
"Well i' Eila Iimatar Juutilainen, and this is Sanya Litvyak of the 588th "Night Witches" she said, the other girl looking at him with big green eyes.
The man dropped both cups, they shattered on the floor, there warm contents flowing into the ground.
A small sound escape his lips, his eyes had a blank look and his mouth hung half that moment, he was back in Russia, his best Friend dieing in his arms, the blood seeping into his uniform.
"Perhaps in the next life..."
"Stay away" he muttered as he backed away, throwing his hands up to his chest palms out flat , he looked like he had seen a monster.
"You stay, away, just..stay away" he said griping the girl on her shoulders with a made look in his eyes.
Both Eila and Churchill were shocked at this.
"Kurtis..." Churchill said trying to get an reaction from the man.
"You took my best friend from me...you filth, you killed him and for what, the thrill"?
"You are out of line soldier, what are you talking about"? she yelled at the man.
"She took everything from me" he yelled, for Eila, this was the last straw, no one touches,Sanya and no one yells at her on her watch, she grabbed at the closest object and threw it at the man, it struck him i the skull and set him to the ground like a rock.
Only after this did she see what it is she threw, a frying pan (why it was in Chruchill's officer no one knew).
The flap was thrown open and the rest of the witches looked in to see Kurtis on the ground face down with a large welt on his head.
"What the hell happend" Jenna yelled after seeing this.
"Kurtis, Kurtis"! Hanna screamed shaking his body, his breathing was slow and he had a loot of swelling.
"Stark, get him to the medical tent, the rest of you come in, let me tell you what just happend"
"This guy attacked Sanya, he's a witch hater" Eila shot out.
They retold what had just transpired to the shock of the witches, there was no way Kurtis could hate witches, he hadn't know about them until a few days before, then again he almost killed Stan, who was helping Stark with getting Kurtis to a doctor.
...W...
Kurtis was lieing alone in bed, the base doctor was out so it was the best they could do for now.
He shot up out of bed, his heart pounding, The last thing he remembered was going out on watch and then...he was here.
He rose from the bed to find his pistol still in its holster, he filpped off the safety and looked around.
Had he been taken prisoner? This was no German hospital, most of the writing on the med supplys was in english...but they had been kicked back across the channel, and with the U.S still fighting with Rommel...what was this.
He took what supplys he could and slipped out the tent flap into the unknown...