10/10 2052.
The Erlkönig made himself comfortable in his seat as he looked out at the endless void stretching before him. The background made for a nice sight, a burning star. He pondered on what had led up to this moment. Alexander Jäger had been absolutely right in believing this was a chapter in galactic history. Which was why the Erlkönig turned on the news, Citadel news station to be exact, he wanted to see their reaction. This was years of planning coming together.
The Asari weren't bad looking by any means, but the fact remained that they were still alien. But, if you replaced the blue skin color with white and tentacles with actual hair, the Asari news presenter could easily pass as a Aryan woman. He gave light to his cigarette as he watched on.
"This is the Citadel News Station. Bringing you galactic news!" She started off, the Erlkönig leaned back in his seat as he took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke he quickly took a sip of his prefered brandy. The broadcast played a little intro before cutting back to the Asari host. "Earlier today a German General was gunned down outside Flux in the Wards. We have a reporter on the ground to bring more information." The scene cut to a Salarian standing outside the famous nightclub/casino Flux.
"Thank you Ishyrlea. The incident happened about three hours ago, but has already led to controversy between C-sec and the German embassy. The victim's name is Lennert Krantz. A General in the German Army who gained fame during the Reich-Hierarchy war. C-sec has disclosed that the General was gunned down by several shooters, witnesses claim the perpetrators were of Batarian origin, but C-sec has yet to confirm it." The Salarian informed in a monotone voice, like it was just another day on the Citadel. The Screen split in two parts, the Asari in one column and the Salarian in the other.
"You mentioned that this has already led to some controversy?" She asked. The Salarian nodded profusely.
"Indeed Ishyrelea. The German Ambassador, Alexander Jäger, has already put in a formal request to have the investigation handled by German police, a request which has been denied by the Executor. The Ambassador states that since a German citizen has been killed, the case should fall to German police. The Executor stated earlier that since the General died on the Citadel, it is within reason that C-sec should handle the case. This is still an ongoing debate." The Salarian explained.
"Thank you, Cegon. More on the murder case later. Now, on to a diplomatic incident between the Salarians and the hanar, which have-" The Erlkönig closed the broadcast as he smiled. Taking another drag of his cigarette.
"Klopp, we're ready for the next step. Do you have the information?" The Erlkönig turned to his assistant and asked.
"Of course Herr Oberst Obergruppenführer. I'll leak it to the right people right away." Klopp replied with a slight bow.
"Good. Call Heydrich and Schulberg as well, let them know we are moving forward with the plan." The Erlkönig requested. His assistant nodded profusely. It was a red letter day, one that would be remembered.
The wheels were now in motion, and only one thought resonated within the minds of the SS.
BEWARE THE ERLKÖNIG
20/10 2052.
Omega.
"Keep watch. I'm gonna see what the Asari has to offer." Khotor instructed as they stood outside a warehouse on Omega. The place was run down, almost falling apart at the seams. But, while Khotor had always been paranoid to his core, his Asari contact had never given him bad information. It was a strange time to live as a Batarian. Their home world had gone rouge, and they were fighting proxy wars with the Reich. He was about to do his part.
The Batarians had been dealt a shit hand by all the others. Their people had gotten used to the luxuries of intergalactic trading and wealth, but now they were already feeling the recession that was about to hit them. They weren't prepared for it. The cowards on the Council, and the cruel Reich would both feel their wrath in due time.
His guards nodded as they equipped their rifles. Khotor stepped into the warehouse, which smelled far away of death, but then again, the entire station did. more murders happened on Omega daily than on the Citadel over a 6 month period. Said a lot about the type of people who occupied the place. He felt at home here.
He looked around, and it didn't take long before he noticed the Asari's guards, which included a few Turians and a massive Krogan. The Asari herself was seated at the table with her feet kicked up, looking content as she filed her nails. She looked up at Khotor, almost unimpressed. "Glad you could make it." She greeted as she put the filer away. "Please, have a seat." She gestured to the empty seat at the other side of the table. Khotor did as requested as he sat down. He placed his side arm on the table, a subtle hint that he was prepared should the Asari get any ideas.
"You better have something good for me, since you dragged me all the way over here, Aeal." Khotor said, annoyed, as he leaned back in his seat.
"I think you'll find it interesting. I heard your government is silently encouraging you to raid as much on the German side of the traverse." The Aeal asked, even though she knew the answer.
"Not officially." He answered. Leaving it at that. It was true in a sense. The Batarian government never said anything about hitting the Reich space, but they also never punished anyone for doing it. Better to have pirates harass your enemy, so you can deny responsibility.
"There is a German colony in the Skyllian Verge. Not all that defended, and would be an easy target for any raids, should any such thing occur." She slipped him a data pad with information on it.
He read it eagerly. He was always interested. The colony's name was Küsgarten, a relatively small settlement all things considered. About 100.000 inhabitants, and a bit multicultural. A nice, juicy target. If Khotor played his cards right, he could get a massive payout here. "Where do you have this information from?" He asked curiously. He had to check his bases.
"You never cared for my sources before, why are you hesitant now?" She asked back, looking almost offended.
"Never know with these fucking humans. They're dangerous." He quickly replied. She accepted the answer.
"Some old contacts in the STG let it slip, they're even offering a small reward for hitting it. They too are eager to see the Reich getting taken down a notch. Now, do you accept the job or not?" She demanded to know. Otherwise she would have to keep digging.
"I'll accept, but I need time to gather a big enough crew. Give me three weeks, and then the Germans will finally see they made the biggest mistake of their lives when they insulted us." Khotor would have done it all for free, just the slaves that could be gained from this raid would easily pay off any costs.
"Good. I'll transfer half of the money tomorrow, and then you'll get the next half once they air the story on the Citadel news station." She explained. He nodded.
"I'll get to work right away."
22/10 2052.
Reichskanzlei, Germania.
"This madness has to stop. I can't believe it." Gottfried said as he walked alongside a few other field marshals. They were headed straight for the Führer's office.
"I agree, it has gone on for quite a long time. Lennert was a close friend, hell I knew his wife." Jonathan agreed as he tried to keep up with Gottfried's pace.
"Lennert shouldn't have gone to a fucking nightclub. The idiot." Generalfeldmarschall Christian Fellgiebel argued as he shook his head.
"Germans shouldn't have to fear going for a walk on the Citadel, Christian." Gottfried fired back, and the sheer amount of medals on Gottfried's uniform was enough to make his opinion more important than anyone else in the OKW. "Is the Führer ready to see us?" Gottfried asked as he approached the desk of the Führer's secretary.
"Of course, herr Generalfeldmarschall." The secretary smiled and quickly opened the door for the three field marshals. Who all but stormed inside. Gottfried quickly noticed he had been beaten to the punch by both the Grand Admiral and the Luftmarschall, as well as a few admirals and generals on either side.
"So you finally turned up?" Ulfric asked, annoyed. The usual witting undertone was gone. This was an issue bothering the Führer.
"We came as soon as we could." Gottfried replied as he and the other high ranking members of the Army took a seat. Ulfric paced around a little, looking to no one in particular as he did so.
"It's not quick enough. The Reichtag is on fucking fire right now, militarists stroking the fire of jingoism, and I am not even able to raise a good argument against it." Ulfric said as he sat down in his leather chair. "Fucking four eyed bastards. Leave it to them to ruin anything they come across. I swear to Speer's mangled corpse, I'll eradicate their pathetic little home planet if they try anything more." Ulfric snapped, and all others looked at their Führer baffled. Never had they seen him like this.
"Mein Führer, are you sure that is a wise idea?" Klaus Gerhardt asked. It wasn't worried about the Kriegsmarine's ability to take down the Batarians, but he was worried about any potential intervention by the Council, or other backlash they may suffer.
"If the Batarians keep pushing their dumb luck, then yes. How can one race be this stupid? Have they no concept of self-preservation?" Ulfric quickly answered. He turned to Gottfried. "How ready is Fall Rot?" He asked.
Gottfried adjusted himself in his seat. "Very. It's been kept updated throughout the years. Our information is accurate, and we can launch it at any moment, if you so please." Gottfried assured the Führer.
"What about the Kriegsmarine? How fast can they mobilize?" Ulfric then turned to the Grand Admiral and asked.
"Within days, Mein Führer. All I need is your order, even the fighters can be loaded up within no time at all, ain't that right Stroman?" Klaus asked Siegfried.
"Of course, the Luftwaffe is ready to go whenever you order us to, Mein Führer. We'll take the fight to their planet if need be." Siegfried agreed.
"Good, it will come in handy. Not yet though. I'm keeping a lid on the tensions for now. But if those dumb idiots try and pull another stunt, the militarists will have enough support to force me to do whatever they want. I'd rather have it be done on my own intuition." Ulfric explained.
"Personally I would enjoy beating the Batarians to bloody pulp after what they did to Lennert. But I guess war needs to be more justified than just one murder." Gottfried remarked as he lit himself a cigarette.
"If you ask the militarists, the only justification we need is the Batarians looking at us wrong. But at some point we have to hit back, we can't keep getting humiliated like this." Klaus replied. Gottfried nodded in agreement.
"Hear hear! If those greasy little spider-eyed fucks try anything more, I'll bomb them back to the stone age." Siegfried all but shouted into the room, once again making sure everyone knew that he was talking, and that they should listen. Nothing had really changed with that man, even though he was nearing 60 years of age soon.
"How long would Fall Rot take, if we did indeed launch it?" Ulfric asked.
"If our Intel is accurate, which the intelligence service assures me that it is, we would be looking at a four-five month campaign. The Batarians have no real allies, and our military is superior in every single way." Gottfried answered as he leaned forward and took the last drag of his cigarette, before swiftly putting it out in the ashtray.
"Too long." Ulfric replied simply.
"Excuse me?" Gottfried seemed genuinely offended at the remark. "Mein Führer, this isn't a kindergarten date. We're planning on taking over an entire fucking planet housing billions of unruly aliens."
"I can have Jäger keep the council off of our backs for at maximum two months. They may not care for the Batarians, no one does, but the conquest of another race is a matter that must be taken seriously, and must be acted upon swiftly so that no outside forces can interfere."
"Which is why I'm telling you that my men can do such a feat within the time-frame allotted to us. We barely managed to capture the Turian colonies during the First Contact War, how much resources will be available to us when trying to capture and subdue a fully populated planet!"
Stroking his chin Ulfric remained silent, before eventually speaking up again. "What about-"
"No. I'm not sending those madmen in there. You want the council off our backs, the SS are the last people we need running amok. Piss-poor bastards barely managed to fulfill the tasks we gave 'em during the war. Too busy trying to cleanse every alien they came across rather than actually using their troops to occupy the territories they captured.'' The OKW and the SS were much like a pair of spurned brothers from an old family farm. They hated each other's guts, one an older brother, proud and obsessed with the past, the other a younger brother, always trying to find new ways to upscale his elder sibling. In this case, Ulfric knew full well the lack of an armistice between the two brothers, so he put his arms up in surrender, admitting defeat.
"Very well, you have at most five months to achieve our goals Gottfried. A day more than that, no, even an hour more, and I call back the troops."
Back in the day, Generalfeldmarschall Kürger would have openly spit in the face of anyone giving him those terms, thinking on it, neither would Ulfric, but they were both getting too old for all of this. When duty calls though, a German answers. There must be no hesitation in their minds if the Reich is to survive this century.
"Now gentlemen, since that is settled, I'm afraid I have a meeting with the Japanese Ambassador, and his envoys." Ulfric said as he stood up and gestured to the door.
"What could you possibly want with the Japanese Ambassador?" Gerhadt asked, confused. It was the first he had heard of it.
"Sugai Takeji and I have a lot to discuss, especially since the Japanese are beginning to look towards the stars as well. We need to keep the peace on the home front, and I need to make sure the Emperor sees enemies on the council, not friends." Ulfric replied. "So please, go on, get the fuck out of here. Dismissed, and Sieg Heil."
"HEIL GERMANIA!" They all saluted, before promptly leaving the room. A meeting with the Japanese Ambassador wasn't the only thing scheduled for Ulfric that day. RnD's head, Waldo, would be swinging along, as well as his foregin minister about an entirely different manner: The grey market connection they had to the Quarians, and how that they might be able to strike some sort of deal, if they were to ever achieve that dream of a better FTL travel system.
Ambassador Takeji strolled into the meeting room along with his entourage, a look of imperial arrogance about his face as the guards escorting him turned about face and exited the room, at the behest of Ulfric's own personal SS bodyguards.
"Herr Takeji, always a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I trust the journey wasn't too troublesome."
"Kuhn-sama." Takeji bowed deeply. "The journey was trouble free, I very much enjoy the aesthetics of Germania. Truly a beautiful city, a clear indication of how far the German people have come, to outshine even the most prestigious of Kyoto's many districts." Takeji spoked with a rehearsed yet lively tone of voice. It was clear to Ulfric that this was a line he wanted to nail down perfectly. The Ambassador seemed meek in stature compared to the Führer, who did not bow in response to the Japanese man's greeting.
"I'm glad you like our city. Our former ambassador to Japan, Herr Jäger, also spoke highly of the Japanese capital during his stay. It is one of my many regrets that I could never visit it myself." It was a white lie on behalf of Ulfric. He never had any desire to visit Japan.
"Should you ever wish to come I am sure the Emperor himself would be willing to allow you and your family a stay at the Imperial Residence."
"No, no, that's quite alright. I'm afraid my duties have far outweighed any free time I might have had in my younger days. Anyways, shall we talk some business?"
A miniscule smile appeared on the aged Japanese ambassador's face. "But of course." and the two sat down at the table facing one another. "Before we begin however, a question, if I may?"
"Speak."
"Why are you here?"
"Pardon?"
"The Führer of Germany is a rare audience for a lowly ambassador such as myself. Usually, I am most often met by one of your many foreign affairs ministers, or some brash diplomat willing to re-establish relations with our Empire."
"Ah, it seems you've found me out Herr Takeji." Ulfric chuckled a bit. "The answer to your question is a very simple one. This matter I wish to discuss with you is far more important than anything that could be left to one of my many bureaucratic associates and colleagues. A matter that will affect both the Einheitspakt as well as the Co-Prosperity Sphere."
"The matters of Alien Subterfuge amongst humanity." Takeji was quick on the draw.
'Good, I often grow loathsome when I have to spell everything out to people.' he could appreciate a quick wit in any conversation, especially when the matter was of such importance. "Exactly. When our space initiative was first launched, I understand the Empire was not too keen on following us to the stars."
"Not until recently, I'm afraid." Takeji replied.
"Quite. Yet for all it is worth, I shall say that the Japanese have performed admirably in the face of the New Frontier. Far more admirable than our initial predictions estimated."
"Your spies should let loose their prejudice against our empire, perhaps then you will have more accurate reports."
"On that I can agree with you. But still, even with how far the Japanese empire has come, one fact remains: You were rather late to the game. Garden worlds are no longer a dime a dozen, in fact, I believe the Italians and Americans have more real colonies than you have. Something I believe we can rectify."
"Go ahead Mister Führer, I'm listening."
"Space was once believed to be a boundless frontier by many of our more star-studded explorers, yet in recent times we've seen just how little of a speck Humanity is in the greater scheme of things. There is much room for improvement. Many modifications to be made to our ships, many laws needing to be passed, and many colonies yet to be inhabited. It just so happens that the Reich is currently leading in respects to your Empire in finding said colonies, at least ones worth colonizing. Now, you no doubt know of the many measures that must first be taken when colonizing a new planet, a bureaucratic cesspit if ever there was one, especially now that we must abide by Citadel regulations." the Japanese ambassador clearly took a liking to what he was hearing, and with Ulfric's own estimates he'll like the next part even more. "I wish to come to the Empire with an offer, one that is very… unofficial in its capacity."
"I shall have to stop you there, Mister Führer." Takeji finally stepped in. "Though I have a feeling it is not coming to this, I must let you know that any offer to sell locations of possible colonies will not be met very kindly by my administration. They are a proud bunch, you see, arrogant and foolhardy to the bone that it would make the Shogun's of old blush from humility."
"I would never wish to insult your noble administrators like that Herr Takeji, I assure." placation had long stopped being an option that proved effective, he could very well see that the ambassador, while open minded, was no two-bit politician hoping for a promotion, he was an orator, a haggler, a businessman. "However," he continued, "say that some of our navigation systems were a bit faulty during the journey, or one of our many bureaucratic offices took just a tad bit longer than usual in the approving of colonization protocols. I do believe it would create an ample amount of time for some different group of star-explorers to plant their flag upon those planets."
Takeji smirked a bit. "Charity is only considered a virtue in temples my good sir. What is the catch?"
"The catch, mein Freund, is what lies in the corners of the Galaxy. Like stated before, we are not alone in the Galaxy, we have already fought a war with one of them before. I, and a lot of Germans, would like to believe there are still embers left from our friendship during the war. I'm not asking for an Alliance, what I'm asking for is simple… a guarantee. A guarantee, that when push comes to shove, we shall value our fellow man over the promises of the xenos."
The Ambassador smiled.
15/11 2052
German Colony Küsgarten, Skyllian Verge.
The promises on the frontier of the Galaxy seemed so glamorous in the posters back home. Do your service to the Reich, and see the Galaxy. John Shepard never had any doubts when he turned 18 years of age. He marched straight into the recruitment office in Vancouver, with permission from his parents of course, and a blessing from his sister. At first he had done his time in bootcamp in Montana, he had been organized into the 31st Marine Infantry regiment of the 9th NA Marine Division.
Right now they were stationed here, more accurately they were on shore leave. The ship they were flying with, the NAM Jackson, was still in orbit. They had been doing some training exercises on the outskirts for the last few days. Nothing major, it had all been done before. Dig a trench, sit there while they simulated artillery attacks. It was supposed to be routine, as it always was.
"Hey, Shepard!" One of his fellow soldiers called out. John peaked his head out.
"What is it Daniels? You coming along to the bar later? I heard Happy hour is on." Shepard asked as he finished putting on his boots.
"Shit, I lost all my money playing cards with Jeff. That slimy bastard was cheating, I'm sure of it… but no, the Sarge was asking for you. Seemed pretty important." Daniels replied wittingly.
"I told you not to take Jeff up on his offer. Kid is from Vegas. Anyways, I'll be going. Thanks for the heads up!" Shepard answered and quickly finished buttoning up his shirt. He strolled along the military tents, greeting his fellow comrades as he went along. He got to the tent where Sarge was supposed to be.
"Sir, you asked for me?" Shepard saluted.
"At ease Corporal. Reports from your squad?" Sergeant Jenkins requested as he turned to face the young soldier. There were others officers in the tent, Shepard recognized at least one lieutenant, as well as a few other sergeants.
"All is well, sir. Everyone's accounted for and no injuries reported during training. The squad performed well overall, and I recommend them for shore leave." Shepard answered as he kept eye contact with the sergeant, something which his father had taught him.
"Good, then permission granted for Shore leave. Curfew is at 2400 hours, if the deadline is not met, disciplinary action will be taken. Dismissed." Shepard gave a salute and promptly exited the tent feeling refreshing with energy and eager to tell his squad the good news.
His squad was all too happy to hear the news, not wasting a second in getting themselves ready to hit the town. John himself was pumped at the prospect of hitting the bar, he had been on active duty for the last 2 months. Before he could get any further, his omni-tool beeped, indicating that someone was trying to call him.
he quickly got on his laptop to see who it was. He was pleasantly surprised to see it was his parents. He opened the video call, and saw his parents staring back at him. They were clearly in their living room back home.
"Hello John! How are you!" His mother was beaming with energy, her voice was just like he remembered her.
"Not too bad, I just got shore leave from my CO. We spent the last few days training, so I'm eager to go have a few drinks with the boys. How have you been? how is Jane doing?" John asked. He was happy to see them again, felt like forever since they had last talked.
"Everything is well on the home front lad. Just as you left it, can't wait for you to finish military service, so you can finally join the family business." John's father Finn said. His Scottish accent was far from unnoticeable, despite having lived for the better part of 25 years in Nordamerika. He didn't really have the heart to tell his father that he would much rather remain in active service than to become a toothpaste salesman.
"Your sister is fine, John. But she keeps insisting she wants to join the armed forces as well once she is 18. We have both tried to explain to her that it isn't possible, but she refuses to listen. She looks up to you." Hannah Shepard added. John smiled, he and his sister were close, sure she had been the most annoying brat when she was younger, but times had changed since then. He could do without her wanting to follow in all of his footsteps. He knew he had to be the one to explain to her, that females were rarely given the chance to join the army. Her only chance would be that she had some biotic powers.
"I'll try and talk to her, but honestly? I think she is set in her ways. She is gonna be so disappointed when the recruiter tells her 'Thanks but no thanks'" John remarked as he thought about such a scenario. It wasn't that Jane wasn't a skilled and otherwise gifted person, the laws just happened to be screwed together in a way that made her dreams practically impossible. But then again, there was also a chance. Women in active service wasn't entirely unheard of, but that was mostly as medics.
"Good on you lad. We'll talk more later then, we just wanted to check in and see if you were already." His father smiled, John returned the smile.
"Of course dad. I'll be sure to check in again in a few days. Another month and I'll come home on extended leave." John replied, still with a warm smile on his face.
"We'll be looking forward to it! Stay safe!" His mother all but demanded. John nodded and closed down his laptop. The boys were waiting in the bar.
About 5 hours later….
"Let me get, uhhhhh-" John did a headcount of his buddies at the table. "6 pints of Lager. On the double mister."
"You got it American." The German bartender replied as he instantly went about pouring 6 glasses of beer for the squad. The Bar was crowded, and the music of choice was some schlager music from Austria, almost minking the sounds of the bars in the Alps.
"Hey Jonathan. I'm going for a smoke, you coming?" Justin asked as he walked up to the bar where John was.
"yeah sure, let me just give the boys their beers first, otherwise we'll have a fight on our hands." John laughed, Justin laughed with him.
"I'll wait for you outside then." Justin said as he picked up his beer, and all but downed it in one sitting. John smiled as he balanced the remaining drinks in his hands, trying his hardest not to spill them as he went over to the table where his buddies were currently getting a bit too rowdy.
John joined his friend outside, and quickly nagged a cigarette from him. It was night time, and they only had a few more hours before they had to be back. There was some light noise coming from the bar behind them, but otherwise it was quiet on the streets. John gave light to his cigarette as he watched the sky.
"You reckon you'll be able to catch a girl tonight?" Justin asked as he took a drag and looked at John.
"Nah, if I had been wearing a proper Kriegsmarine uniform, maybe. Mark my words Justin. One day I'll join the Kriegsmarine." John knew it was the alcohol talking, but he had always wanted to serve with the Germans, not just the American volunteer divisions. It was a pipe dream.
"You? In the Kriegsmarine?" Justin let out a laugh. "That would be the day. First American to join the Kriegsmarine, John Shepard! HA." Another laugh as John shook his head. It was just a fantasy, but being able to dawn the German armor would be like a dream come true, or even better than that: A chance to join the LSL (Land, See und Luft), the special forces of Germany, would be even better.
Just then, the earth shook as their ear drums were almost blown out. A massive explosion, so big you could see it from where they were standing. It almost forced both of them on the ground. John looked at it, and saw that it was clearly from where their camp was. "Holy shit!" John muttered as he watched the cloud die down.
"Are they still doing exercises?" Justin asked confused as he got stable footing again. His question was quickly answered by another set of rumblings.
The PA systems sprung to life "Achtung Achtung! All soldiers to position, the colony is under attack! Repeat: The Colony is under attack, this is not a drill. Civilians are required to stay in their homes and await further notice. Repeat:-" John dropped everything he had in his hands, and went inside the bar to yell at his squad. They all got up faster than lighting, and ran for the tents to get their gear.
John had never run so fast in his life. His blood was pumping adrenaline throughout his veins. He didn't have time to think about what was actually happening, he had never been in a true combat experience before, but yet all he could think about was getting his gear and reporting to his sergeant.
"Corporal Shepard reporting in Sir!" John snapped a salute to Sergeant Jenkins, who was busy firing shots off from his service rifle down the street.
"Glad you finally decided to show up Corporal! We got hostiles advancing down the street while you were off drinking that beer. GET IN POSITION!" Sergeant Jenkins yelled, and Shepard instantly took cover behind the wreck of a car. They were so many of them, all them armed to the teeth and bearing down on them with furious intent. John fired his rifle like there was no tomorrow, hoping to God that he could at least take down a few of them.
"We need to hold this street Corporal! We lose this sector, and then there is nothing between these scum and the civilians!" The Sergeant was good at reminding John what was at stake here, like he didn't already know. They continued their stand against the invaders, and as far as John could see, it was an army of Batarians.
In the midst of gunfire and explosions, and after seeing the death of two of his men, John felt at a loss when he looked over and saw his sergeant getting shot by the advancing Batarians. Bullet went straight through his sergeant's chest, it threw the man back a few yards and onto his back. He died immediately.
"SARGE!" John yelled as he ran over to the lifeless corpse of his CO, and dragged the heavy body back to the cover of the car, trying desperately to find a pulse, but alas nothing came, no matter how hard he pressed his fingers on his neck. "FUCK!" John yelled into the sky.
"He still breathing?" Justin asked as he laid down covering fire.
"Gone." John replied without emotion.
"God dammit! Alright, we gotta retreat, we'll rally back up with the other guys and-"
"We're not leaving."
"What? Are you fucking insane?"
"Sergeant Jenkins said hold this street. We're soldiers, aren't we? Soldiers follow orders."
"I repeat since my question apparently didn't go through your thick skull. ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!" John had to physically pull Justin down when a stray shot narrowly hit him, he was getting agitated, and there was no wonder why. Fear often got the best of men in times of danger, John himself had never seen live combat up until now, and neither had Justin, but there was some underlying feeling that they were gonna make it. It was just a matter of taking a stance. John could still feel adrenaline flowing freely through his body, and every fiber of his body told him that he had to hunker down and fight.
"WE HOLD THIS LINE, SERGEANT'S ORDERS!"
Four hours later
Skies above the colony.
"This is Eagle 3, requesting to break formation. Over."
"This is Eagle mother, permission granted. Over."
"This is Fox 7, My sensors are picking up movement just outside the city sector. Do we have troops in the area? Over"
"This is Eagle Mother. Negative, all reports stated lines have fallen back to the city center. Weapons free. Over."
"This is Fox 7, I see gunfire in the city sector, it seems like something is holding up the Batarian forces. Please advise. Over."
"This is Eagle Mother. Copy that, can you get us a visual? How many divisions do we have down there? Over."
"Eagle Mother… there are no divisions…"
"This is Eagle Mother. Could you repeat that? Over."
"This is Eagle 3. I have eyes on the fight. A group of our soldiers, no, one of the soldiers, is fighting against advancing enemy forces. Permission for fire support? Over."
"This is Eagle Mother. Permission granted. Burn 'em for us. Over."
"Copy that, Eagle 3 moving in. Over."
"This is Eagle Mother. What is your status? Over."
"Just laid down fire support at grid ref: Papa-Tango-Whiskey-4-8-3. Seems like the lone soldier is still standing, over."
"Roger that. Get back in formation and focus fire on retreating force outside city lines. Over."
"Copy that."
17/11 2052.
Crimea
The woods would have been quiet, were it not for the occasional gunfire. It was a cold morning, cold enough that you could see your breath. Yet it did not seem to hinder the two men standing in the open field, one of whom was busy firing his rifle at cardboard targets down the range.
"Excellent shot as always, Heydrich. But aren't there more pressing matters that require our attention?" Konrad Volkert suggested. Heydrich only answered with a cold stare as he reloaded his pristine hunting shotgun, engraved with scenes from battles from the second world war. "Lorenz is getting nervous, maybe even catching on." Konrad elaborated.
"Lorenz doesn't know anything. He is old, and paranoid. I don't worry about him. Soon enough, I will lead more than just the Waffen SS." Heydrich replied, as usual, his voice was monotone, devoid of any and all normal human emotion. He lined up another shot.
"I know that all too well mein Freund, but still he possesses a lot of influence within, shall we say… certain circles. Most notably the Allgemeine SS. I know you modernized the Waffen SS, but is it truly enough?"
"You think I don't know that?" Heydrich loaded two more buckshots into his shotgun, not parting his gaze from Volkert the entire time. "Manpower and resources will only get him so far. I don't intend on being sloppy. When the time comes, this will be a bloodless transition of power."
"You and I both know that is impossible in our organization."
"You have been of great help, Volkert." A shot fired, a target down. "Your technical expertise has helped with creating a truly superior Waffen SS." Another shot. "Able to outgun and outmaneuver any enemy. Not to mention your influence in the Thule Society." the breach of the gun opened up and spit out the slugs, ready for yet another round of double-fire as smoke emitted from the end of the barrel. "A far sight better than anything Kaufmann has done to help with the cause. But our path does not end with the Reichsführer."
"Your words do me great honor, Heydrich. I shall be with you until the end." Volkert replied with a slight smile. One which Heydrich did not return.
"Lying is the worst way to keep good relations between us, Volkert." Heydrich fired off two more rounds. Each one hitting it's designated target. No matter how good a shot he landed, it seemed like he was never impressed with it. He was a hard man to read, but like with most mysterious in this life, Volkert was fascinated by it, and wanted to crack it open, analyze it like the little project it was.
'Yes, that is all you are Wolfgang. Just another nut I'll eventually crack. All in the name of science.'
"Herr Oberst Obergruppenführer! Priority message from the Gestapo!" One of the officers came running up to Heydrich. He handed Heydrich a datapad. Heydrich handed his pristine and shiny shotgun to Volkert, who held it like it was the most precious thing in the universe.
He read it quickly. Once again, never giving any indication of what the message said. Heydrich could have gotten a message that said the entire SS had been killed in a nuclear blast, and he would still read it with as little emotion as an old grandpa would reading the morning newspaper.
"Well?" Volkert asked a bit impatiently.
"Seems like Kaufmann's plan paid off." Heydrich answered as he closed down the datapad. "Guess it's time for me to honor my part of the agreement." Heydrich remarked as his eyes were drawn to the woods. "Tell Wahler he'll be able to test out the capabilities of the Waffen SS after all. Target is Torfan. Get to it." The officer who had delivered the message saluted and quickly ran off to do as requested.
"So the Führer is moving towards war?"
"Yes."