Oppenheim I

20 April 1944
Nottingham, United Kingdom

In spite of their initial losses, the American, British, and British Colonial Forces pushed the Germans of the Wehrmacht Heer back from Nottingham, getting an advantage and breaking their lines. Taking over one hundred prisoners of the Wehrmacht and some Waffen-SS soldiers after a surprise ambush and encirclement. Many of the men are marching into a prisoner-of-war camp in Northern England with a regiment keeping guard. Some of the Americans looking over the column begin to taunt and leer at the marching POWs.

"Hey, hey, hey. Krauts! Keep on marching will ya!" An American corporal remarks as the German soldiers of the Reich march with their hands behind their heads, chuckling. He keeps his M1 Garand close to him, watching the site of men marching in rank. One of the American soldiers walks up to the column and pulls out his dog tags, showing it off to the Germans.

"Hey, Kraut. See this letter, H. Hebrew. I'm a Jew. See this, Jew, ein Juden." Another American soldier, Mordechai, holds his rifle from the muzzle with his left hand and his right-hand holds up his dog tags with the Star-of-David tied down with a rubber band. "Juden. Ein Juden." He continues to taunt.

"Hey, Mordechai. You sure it's a good idea to taunt like that?" Another American soldier, Frank the younger brother to Mordechai, asks. Frank sits just beside his brother, holding his M1 Garand on his arms. "Because for sure, if one of them escapes and we end up as POWs. They would have no trouble finding the Jews in our unit because of your idiocy." Frank continued, trying to reason with his older brother.

"Why not? It's good to gloat in the face of a defeated enemy once in a while," Mordechai responded. "These men look guilty for killing Jews. Haven't you read the papers?" Mordechai continued. "Plus we're doing this on Hitler's birthday. So imagine what they're thinking surrendering to a jew on Hitler's birthday," Mordechai continues as he chuckles. He looks down at Frank who is looking with his head down. Mordechai slaps his brother's back. "Cheer up, Frank. I know this is a first for you. Being so far from home, from mom. But you need to start learning how to be independent. Be more aggressive and take the initiative," Mordechai wraps his arm around his brother's head and directs it to the POWs. "If by chance, Hashem gives you an opportunity to kill one of those bastards, do it," Mordechai stands back up. "But don't forget, you're my baby brother. We signed up together. I promise you, stay by my side and I swear to you, we will survive this war together. Just stay close, Frank."

"Where did that come from?" Frank asks, looking away at his brother's semi-sentimental words.

"Just saying, Franky," Mordechai responded. "Also, Mom will definitely kill me if I don't come back home with you in one piece. It'll be best to stay close. Are you listening?" Mordechai continued. Mordechai points to another of their squadmates who is performing the national socialist salute as he makes up words that sound like one of Hitler's speeches. "Look at Jermy over there. Man's hilarious."

"I am, I am," Frank replied. Frank turns his head and spots a jeep slowing down to where they are. "Moe, brass' coming." The two stand at attention with the POWs continuing to march behind them. The company commander of B Company pulls up to the two men in his jeep.

"You two orders from command, they want the 29th ID to continue pushing forward. B Company is to provide reinforcements for the 4th Armored as we move in to reinforce and plug a hole that the Germans could exploit." The company commander of B Company gives the orders to the two brothers.

"Sir, what are we to do with prisoners?" Mordechai asks. The company commander thinks for a second, remembering what he's been ordered to give to his unit.

"The Brits are coming over now to relieve A and B Companies from the rear," The company commander responded. "Get your gear and relay this to the rest of the men in your squad. Line up with the rest of B Company in formation. We're moving out in eleven hundred hours. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" The brothers responded, saluting their company commanding officer. At eleven o'clock B Company of the 29th Infantry Division moves out to provide reinforcement support for the main assault in freeing Nottingham.

Hours later the Americans continued to push forward but the momentum remained not long with the Allied forces. As the B Company of the 29th Infantry Division continues to push forward, their positions are halted by incoming artillery fire. "Find cover!" the company commander cries out. "Remain in-formation and don't run like luna-!" He tries to keep the men calm and in formation until he himself turns into a red mist by an artillery shell. A radio signal is sent out of an SS ambush striking A and D Companies, calling in for reinforcements and air support. In a separate sector of the bombed-out city, a column of tanks moves through the ruins of the southern part of the city, trying to assist A company and drive back the assaulting SS, B company makes their way through the destroyed city and in search of a path to A company. The 9th SS Panzergrenadier Eis Divison moves forward and assaults the tank column.

"Angriff!" SS-Scharführer Oppenheim gives the signal to attack. The Panzerschrecks open fire at the M1 Shermans. The B Company of the 29th ID, caught off guard by elements of the 9th SS Panzergrenadier began to make their attack. Many wearing their Erbsenmuster uniforms, helmets, or patrol caps. In the chaos and confusion, Oppenheim rushes in with an anti-tank grenade: a normal stick grenade with six extra grenade heads tied to the main grenade, throwing it underneath the rear end of the column. He dodges just as the tank explodes and opens fire with his MP-40 at the escaping tankers and Americans who were caught off guard. The remaining M1 Shermans are also taken out by the surprise attack. "Move forward, attack! Attack!" SS-Scharführer Oppenheim blurted out, taking cover again behind a building.

"Where's the SS-Standartenführerin?!" SS-Rottenführer Stein shouts as he reloads his StG-44, keeping his head down from oncoming gunfire.

"She said that she would be taking out the main American forces guarding the city. We're here to make sure that these tanks won't make it to give the Americans support," Oppenheim responded. He peers over from the first story from the ground floor as one of the Shermans points its turret at Oppenheim's position. "Get down!" He cries out as a shell is fired just above him. The shell explodes blowing dust and debris all over. Oppenheim turns to the SS-Rottenführer. "Stein, are you ok?" Oppenheim turns and sees that a piece of debris has pierced his throat from the side, leaving him to bleed out. Oppenheim stands up and rushes back into the room as explosions and gunfire keep firing off around him. "First squad, sound off!" Oppenheim calls out for any of his remaining squadmates who may still be alive after the ambushing of the Americans. As Oppenheim continues to wander through the hall, Frank rushes in with his M1 Garand with its bayonet. Oppenheim drops his MP-40 and dodges the bayonet attack, grabbing hold of the rifle by its barrel and bayonet, and wrapping his hands around the barrel of the rifle. As the two wrestle over it, Frank fires off two close-range shots but misses Oppenheim's head by a hair's breadth. Oppenheim kicks Frank and takes full possession of Frank's M1 Garand. Oppenheim strikes Frank with the butt of his rifle and turns the rifle over and charges forward, driving Frank to a wall to fully embed the bayonet in him. He fired the remaining bullets in the M1 Garand until the rifle released its en bloc clip. Oppenheim pulls the bayonet out of Frank and tosses it aside. Oppenheim turns and walks away as he breathes heavily with the near-death duel, unbuckling his helmet to relieve the ringing sound in his right ear.

"Frank!" Mordechai calls out for his younger brother. He spots Frank's body and Oppenheim walking away from him. "I'LL KILL YOU!" Mordechai cries out. Blinded by rage, he fires several rounds at Oppenheim who jumped into an empty room on his right, with Mordechai following his shots, hitting Oppenheim on his thigh, and reloading his M1 Garand. "Get Back Here! I'll Fucking Murder You-You Fucking NAZI!" Mordechai cries out, following Oppenheim into the same room. Oppenheim throws his unbuckled helmet at Mordechai in the face, dropping his weapon and giving him a second to escape. Mordechai tackles Oppenheim to the ground and the two begin to wrestle. Mordechai's helmet falls off after he tackled Oppenheim. Oppenheim turns on his back as Mordechai places his hands around Oppenheim's neck and squeezes. "This is for my baby brother. I'll kill you and all your other nazi friends who are trying to kill us." Mordechai tells Oppenheim, squeezing the life from his very eyes. Oppenheim uses his right hand to grab onto something he could reach with his left trying to lift up Mordecahi's hands. Oppenheim grabs onto a piece of stone debris and strikes Mordechai on the left side of his temple. Mordechai continues to persist in choking Oppenheim. The light penetrating through the holes made by tank and artillery fire shows Oppenheim's face to Mordechai. Mordechai's grip loosens as he sees Oppenheim's face have characteristics similar to his younger brother's. Oppenheim strikes Mordechai once more, hitting his left ear. Oppenheim manages to get Mordechai off of him and pushes him to the ground. Oppenheim gets on top of Mordechai and strikes him a few more times, leaving his face bloody and disfigured. Oppenheim limps over to a wall breathing heavily at the confrontation, dropping the stone from his hand and grabbing back his helmet from the ground.

"Du... du Amerikaner," Oppenheim calls out to Mordechai. Breathing heavily in between each word. "Dieser... dieser Krieg ist nicht von dir zu kämpfen... wenn du nich beret bist," (This war is not of yours to fight, if your not ready) Oppenheim tells the heavily wounded Mordechai. "Bitte, geh nacht Hause. Macht es für dich einfach. Macht es für deine Familie einfach." (Please, just go home. Make it easy for you, make it easy for your family) Oppenheim pleaded with Mordechai, limping away to find his unit and prepare for another attack.
The momentum failed, mounting American losses, and an ever-encroaching encirclement left the Americans no choice but to leave the city to the advancing Germans.
Oppenheim continues to limp through a part of the city, trying to look for his unit or his base. Wounded from the shrapnel, splinters, debris, and a bullet to the leg, Oppenheim limps until he sees an Anglican church that suffered heavy damage from the fighting. He enters the church for a rest, hoping to find a patrolling unit to bring him back to the base. He stumbles over the rubble and sees many of its pews have either been destroyed or turned over, stained glass shattered, statues and woodwork damaged. Holes show an opening for the light to shine, and the central crucifix of the church is collapsed to the ground, damaged, and in near ruins he walks over to the closest to the altar he sees the crucifix that was supposed to have been mounted has now fallen onto one of its sides as the paint on the figure of Christ was chipped away. He sits down in one of the few remaining pews and removes his helmet only to leave it on his side along with his MP-40. He combs through his blonde hair with his fingers, trying to get the most debris and blood out of it.

"August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March, and April. Nine months huh," Oppenheim counts with his fingers. "Nine damned months here. Almost four years since SS-Standartenführerin joined the unit," He looks up at the ceiling of the ruined church. "Just how many dead in our unit at this point?" Oppenheim asks himself. As he relaxes, exhaustion catches up to him and begins to slowly drift. As he drifts into sleep, he envisions himself with his parents and siblings in a green field somewhere in Eastern Europe. With a simple home just fit for himself and his family, Oppenheim continues to dream of a future that he hopes to see but is interrupted when the church's organs play. The first of the notes he listens to are the ones he recognizes. "Teufelslied?... Here?" Oppenheim asks himself. The song continues to play and the music resonates and pierces out of the church. "Ironic to play the song with the devil's name here. But something about here makes it sound different." Oppenheim turns away his eyes from the organ where the SS soldier is playing and glances at the downed crucifix. He stares at the crucifix and ponders to himself. "I know this is an Anglican church, and I'm Lutheran. But, would I still even be saved? Hm. I just wonder what would Jesus think of me and the SS. I doubt he would be happy with what we're doing. But I hope the ends justify the means. But then again, this is something He will never be proud of for what I've done." Oppenheim contemplated further. He darts his eyes away from the crucifix and stares at the light penetrating through the broken stained glass window. He reminisces of the campaigns he survived against the French, British, Soviet, and Americans. Reminiscing his compatriots that he and Esdeath had fought alongside with. He still sees his friends and brothers-in-arms but can't reach them. He senses their presence behind him yet every time he turns to see them they always disappear.

20 September 1944
Borodino, Greater Germanic Reich

"ВПЕРЁД!" (Forward!) On the eastern outskirts of Smolensk Oblast, in the small village of Borodino, a Soviet officer gives the order for the attack. Men charge out of their trenches with T-34s and IS-2s accompanying them. They charge forth to push and break the German lines. In the front lines, Oppenheim's squad holds their ground, waiting for the Soviet attack. In the previous attack, their company commander had fallen to a Soviet T-34 tank but Oppenheim did not waver. As the Soviets begin to rush Oppenheim turns to his squadmates.

"Get up men, get up! We're members of the 9th SS Panzergrenadier Eis Division. We'll push these red bastards back to Moscow. Now attack!" Oppenheim calls out. The Red Army quickly enters the trench as the 9th SS Panzegrenadiers fight back by firing at the Soviets. The SS is slowly driven back to their second defensive position, but they still remain strong.

"SS-Scharführer! What do we do?!" An SS-Soldat cries out, hiding behind a wall. Oppenheim turns over and fires a burst at an approaching Red Army soldier, shooting him down.

"This is what we're going to do. First troop is to lob grenades as we push forward and flank the Bolsheviks. My squad will turn left and Uwe's squad is to flank right." Oppenheim gives his orders to turn the Soviets back. A minute passes and grenades are lobbed forward, exploding all around. Following his orders, Oppenheim rushes forward with his squad, eliminating Soviet resistance and those who are fleeing. The men rejoice at their victory. "Regroup and reform with your squad. Send a message to the SS-Brigadeführerin for reinforcements and relief." Oppenheim continues. The remaining men take the opportunity to shore up their defenses, but the amount they need in reinforcements needs time to get them quickly to the frontline. Then a report came in of how long until reinforcements. "I need a head count of who is alive. Check your ammo men. Make every bullet count as we have an hour until reinforcements arrive."

"But that isn't enough time, there are less than seventy of us here and we're running low on ammunition." An SS-Rottenführer tells Oppenheim.

"Shit, at this point we have no choice but to fall back," Oppenheim tells himself, he looks up at the tired and warry faces of his men under his leadership. All tired and dirtied faces from months and years of constant combat, and with no officers on the ground at the moment, Oppenheim turns to his men. "Quickly get the Panzerfausts out and use it when any Soviet tanks pass us. strike them from behind. Everyone else provides covering fire. Don't bunch up in specific sectors. If any Soviet troops do enter, then it's better to fall back than to fight them hand-to-hand. Now grab and use any of their weapons until aid arrives." Despite being in the NCO rank, Oppenheim gives his orders. Forty minutes passed as mortars and artillery shells were fired from the Red Army lines. The SS lie in wait as the mortar fire explodes all around them. Then the Soviets began their attack. The Red Army soldiers march in toe with their tanks. Despite having numbers of a thousand-man battalion, the first company of the 9th SS Panzergreanadier Eis Division still holds its ground. Then, the SS sprung their trap and inflicted casualties on the Red Army, reusing many of the Red Army's own weapons. The Panzerfaust soldiers fire upon the T-34s and a battle ensues.

"Commander, the men are falling back! We have no more ammunition!" A Red Army tanker tells his commanding officer in the T-34. "We are out of machine gun ammo. If a German panzer appears then we're dead!" He continues, speaking in a distressed tone. In front of the T-34, Friedrich Oppenheim rises up from the ground with his uniform in tatters and a grenade in hand.

"German twelve o'clock!" The driver spots the tattered Oppenheim standing in front of them, calling out to them. "This German has gone crazy. I'm backing up and rejoing with the main force."

"Back up and I'll shoot you! Run that son of a bitch over!" Following his orders, the T-34 begins to roll forward. Seeing the T-34 charge forward, Oppenheim begins to walk forward putting power onto each step he takes. Yelling and waving an anti-tank grenade.

"Ich bin SS-Scharführer Friedrich Oppenheim. Soldat der SS-Brigadeführerin und Generalmajorin der Waffen-SS Esdeath Partas, der 9. SS-Panzergrenadier Eis Division! Und ich bringe euch euer Tod!" (I'm SS-Scharführer Friedrich Oppenheim. Soldier of the SS-Brigadeführerin and Generalmajorin of the Waffen-SS Esdeath Partas, of the 9th Eis Division! And I bring you your death!) Oppenheim charges forward as he yells out his name and rank. He charges forward and jumps on top of the tank. Letting the lust of battle consume him, Oppenheim laughs manically as he climbs up to the top hatch and forcefully opens it throwing down his activated grenade before closing it down and jumping out of it. All the tank commander could look on was with fear for Oppenheim had none. The anti-tank grenade detonates inside the T-34 explodes and stops in its tracks. Looking at the blown-up T-34 in flames, Oppenheim couldn't help but laugh at the burning T-34. Oppenheim lays down on the ground, laughing uncontrollably. Hesitation no longer factors his mind, for all he did in his service: from slaying foes, prisoners and partisans, and civilians who got in the 9th SS Panzergrenadier Eis Divison's way. After surviving several days of fighting, Oppenheim simply chuckles as he places his dirtied right hand over his eye, collapsing with his back to the ground. He continues to chuckle on top of the soil, tears streaming from his face. Esdeath and reinforcements arrive a few minutes later to inspect the defenses. Before Esdeath lay hundreds of dead Red Army soldiers and several tanks on fire, the company-sized regiment remained to that of less than forty men.

"What happened here? There wasn't supposed to be an attack on this position." Esdeath comments. "So why did the Red Army attack here?" Esdeath questions herself.

"SS-Brigadeführerin, there appears to be a soldier coming towards us. Should I put him out?" An SS-Haputsturmführer asks Esdeath. Esdeath takes a closer look and spots Oppenheim limping over to their position, tired, weary, and all-around exhausted.

"Hold your fire. I'll deal with him. Go and secure the perimeter. We'll be changing units here soon enough," Esdeath gives her orders. Esdeath begins to walk over to the beleaguered Oppenheim. Oppenheim stops just before Esdeath, the two standing less than a meter apart. Oppenheim raises his right arm to salute Esdeath with the national socialist salute. Esdeath salutes back, and the two lower their arms. Having a closer look at Oppenheim, Esdeath can see the state he's in. A dirtied face, a tattered uniform, and gear that has been weathered and faced many battles.

"Heil... Hitler, SS-Brigadeführerin. I and the rest of the First Troop have held off a Soviet attack," Oppenheim reports to Esdeath of what has happened. "Unfortunately, SS-Sturmbannfüherer Bauer and SS-Obersturmfüherer Fuchs were killed in the fighting. As third in command, I led the unit to victory for the fatherland and for-" Before Oppenheim could finish Esdeath places her right hand onto his left shoulder.

"Do not concern yourself about having to report to me. You've done well," Esdeath begins to walk together with Oppenheim in toe. "Come now, I'll have you and your remaining squadmates taken to the backlines, so that you may rest for a while. You can report with more details later after you rest up. Ok?" Esdeath asked, Oppenheim simply nodded at her offer. "Perhaps even you may get your second Iron Cross for this action. Good work." Esdeath furthered compliments Oppenheim for the defense of their position against the Red Army attack.
At camp, hours after surviving such overwhelming numbers, Oppenheim is called up by Esdeath to visit her office in Smolensk. Despite his four-year-long service with Esdeath Oppenheim knows nothing about why Esdeath wants to meet with him. Not once was he formally or informally invited to meet with Esdeath in person, almost always directly and indirectly while fighting on the frontlines. A good strategy to boost her soldiers' morale and strike fear into her enemies. Without hesitation, Oppenheim knocks on her door a couple of times. "You may enter." Esdeath gives permission. He enters her office, an old bombed city hall in the middle of the city square overlooking much of the former cultural square now turned into a military base for the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS. Esdeath turns around and sees Oppenheim closing the door behind him.

"Heil Hitler," Oppenheim salutes Esdeath. She walks over to Oppenheim, stopping a couple of feet before him. Putting a foot in front of the other, each step she takes is audible.

"No need for heilings, SS-Scharführer. We already know each other well enough that it's proper if we speak informally in private conversations like this." Esdeath informs Oppenheim. Hearing this, Oppenheim brings his hand down and stands at attention.

"Of all of the orders that you have given SS-Brigadeführerin, I would have to decline this order as you are of the general staff of the Waffen SS. It would be disrespectful to speak with you in an informal manner." Oppenheim addresses his concerns of acting informally with Esdeath, in spite of the many battles the two have fought in.

"Please take a seat," Esdeath directs Oppenheim to a chair of what is supposed to be a well-furnished Soviet-made desk but has seen bits a pieces torn out of it. Esdeath walks over to another part of the office and grabs two glasses from the bar. "All I have are pear schnapps and a Soviet-made vodka. If you ask me both taste like death but I enjoy them, though I rarely drink myself."

"Pear schnapps, please," Oppenheim informs Esdeath. She pours the two glasses with the pear schnapps a quarter of the way full. She walks back to Oppenheim and hands Oppenheim his glass as she sits on the other side of her desk sitting on her chair. "Thank you." Oppenheim thanks Esdeath but doesn't drink his until Esdeath does. But she had placed her glass without taking a sip of it. He does the same as well. "Mind if I ask for what reason you've called me, SS-Brigadeführerin?"

"I simply want to know more about you. Outside of the simple information, I could request from Germania." Esdeath responded. "Because in order to be a more effective leader, I should make an attempt to know well of my subordinates and address any concerns they have. In this world, the most effective way to go about this would be to talk with the squad leaders and officers. I did this a lot in my old world, where I communicated with my soldiers, sharing stories and a meal. But here, hierarchies are stricter than what I've initially anticipated." Esdeath continued.

"Oh. Well, where should I start?" Oppenheim asks. Esdeath pulls out a sheet of paper and her fountain pen. Oppenheim glances downward at the blank sheet of paper.

"Well, you can start by handing me over your paybook. From there I would be asking questions. After everything, you can ask me some." Esdeath orders Oppenheim who accepts her offer. He reaches into his inside tunic pocket and hands his paybook. She opens up the pay book to find specific sections of his pay book. "So you were born in the north?" Esdeath asks.

"Of course. I was born in Rostock in what was then Mecklenburg-Schwerin, this was during the time of the Great War and the beginnings of the Weimar Republic. I was born when the Kaiserschalcht went into full operation. My family came from a bit further east, both of my parents originated from Pomerania, Stettin to be specific." Oppenheim gives his information to Esdeath to confirm what was written on his paybook.

"Did your father fight in the Great War?" Esdeath asked.

"He was placed in the reserves as an officer for the logistics aspect of the Imperial German Army. For most of his career, he was a teacher for an Evangelical-Lutheran all-boys Gymnasium in Rostock. He taught music theory and practice and was a well-respected musical tutor. I attended the same school that my father taught in, and to say that he was strict was an understatement. He was the reason why I was taught the piano and helped foster an appreciation of the instrument," Oppenheim tells his history to Esdeath. "I still remember how strict he was with the instruments. He believes that every single one of us must incorporate an instrument as if it were our own body. Like how one's arm is a part of the body. He believed the instrument was an extension of that. And for those who played piano like me, for example, he would be standing by the side and strike our hands with a thin but sturdy birch branch. But that was only reserved for those who are intermediate to advanced in which his expectations would be higher. I was an exception and he started striking my hands when I first learned to play the piano."

"Is that so? Then he must've been a strict teacher as well when it comes to the study of music," Esdeath asked just as she closed his paybook. "But allow me to ask. What made you want to join the SS?"

"I expressed feelings to join in 1934, more so after I graduated two years later. I joined in 1937, when I turned nineteen being assigned to an SS-VT unit that later on became the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. I fought in Poland and with you in France. The rest is what one might say is history." Oppenheim explains. The answer disinterests Esdeath

"That doesn't answer my question. Tell me, why did you join? Was it for status, money, or is it the uniform that gives you a sense of power?" Esdeath further pushes Oppenheim to answer her question. "For me, I joined primarily because I desire to fight again. Fighting in what I call, the new world. I once was a general for the Empire, a nation that is from another world and is now lost. But here, just like in the fallen Empire, I quickly reached general rank despite my competition wanting to bring me down. Coupled with fighting soldiers of multiple foreign nations of varying strengths. Where they lack experienced soldiers who use swords they make up for it by having almost a million men and equipment, each armed with firearms. Some that I've never conceived in my mind. Making the lust of the battle all the more intoxicating. That is my motivation to join, and yours?" Esdeath explains to Oppenheim. After hearing her reasonings, Oppenheim takes a moment to think of what to say next. Having already been serving for seven years, not once did he think about what drove him to join. Oppenheim then comes up with an answer to Esdeath's reasoning.

"When I told you about the story of my father, I stressed the past tense. That is because he was terminated from his position shortly after my graduation. To this day I don't know why he was terminated. He was apprehensive of me joining the SS, saying that the Wehrmacht was a better alternative. But I remained staunched and I am proud of joining. He helped provide the genealogical records to the Race office to secure a position. Perhaps he knew that I may have a better quality of life after being discharged. I even gave a good portion of my earnings to my family back in Rostock. I hope for a cozy job or land here in Russland, as just compensation for my sacrifices to the cause for Germany and the Führer," Oppenheim elaborates on his reasoning for joining the Waffen SS to Esdeath but he continues. "Something that my fallen brothers wouldn't be able to do. But to answer what you've asked of me. I joined because I knew that my sacrifices would return a just compensation, perhaps providing a better life not just for myself but for my parents: so that they don't have to toil anymore, my siblings: who can help build a community, and perhaps even my children. If I have any. Even if I were to die right now, I know it would be worth it. The Führer will recognize my, and my comrades', sacrifice for our blood and soil," Oppenheim elaborated further. "But above all. When this war is over... I want to visit my parents and my younger brother and sister again. I haven't seen them in almost six years. I haven't spoken to either since my father forbade everyone to speak with me after the oath of allegiance ceremony. When this ends, that is the first thing I want to do. Arrive unannounced with medals on my chest and land deeds so that we can move into the former Soviet lands." Oppenheim continues.

"Blood and soil. Haven't heard that phrase in a while outside of Goebbels' propaganda. But I guess even a man like him would still be an ideologue for Hitler and the party. Unlike that of my old soldiers of the Empire who not only swore fealty to the Emperor but also me," Esdeath thinks to herself. She passes along Oppenheim's paybook. "This was a lovely chat that we had. The only concern now is your survival. Perhaps in the end your family will be proud of what you did to secure a future for them," Esdeath stands up with Oppenheim doing the same."The real reason I called you in is so that I can get your information and write a recommendation letter for your promotion into the officer ranks. I recommend that you begin your training in Bad Tölz, the same facility where I became an officer and assigned to the third division. I'm sure your father would be proud to see you become an officer, and the pay for an officer is greater than the enlisted, so I'm sure that you can send more money back home." The news brings enjoyment into Oppenheim, as he hears how much better the officers get in pay and rations. Sending most of his pay to support his parents as they attempt to look for work. Esdeath grabs and raises her glass with Oppenheim doing the same, mirroring her actions. "To health, luck, and the Reich. May the Fatherland live for a thousand years. Perhaps even further with you" Esdeath toasts, ending the night by drinking their shot and Oppenheim leaving after finishing his drink. Esdeath becomes content with what she did, learning more about her soldiers of the new world.

30 September 1944
Berlin, Greater Germanic Reich
Prinz-Albert-Straße

Inside the main office of the SS Race and Settlement Main Office, in the racial office, an SS secretary of the lower officer ranks looks at the two different genealogical family trees of an officer applicant, both tracing back to the early 1700s. He looks at both family trees and wonders how one man, SS-Scharführer Friedrich Oppenheim, has two conflicting family trees: his official family tree with only Germanic surnames and his genuine family tree with a heavy mixture of German-Jewish and German surnames, with Oppenheim's genuine family tree leaning heavily on the surnames from German-Jewish origin. He inspects once more the official Lutheran church documents but the baptismal records of the Protestant faith of the Oppenheim family only apply to the immediate family of Oppenheim. All dating no more than twenty-five years back. Not centuries like in many other applications. He looks over at Oppenheim's recommendation letter from SS-Brigadeführerin Esdeath Partas and gives off a sigh. To clear up such inconsistency, he would have to get more information about the German Evangelical Church's parishes in Rostock and Stettin. Having reviewed and inspected the application, with nothing adding up, he stands and prepares the application for further inspection. Hoping that the inconsistencies would be realized.

Author's note:
While writing the chapters for the main storyline, I thought that I might add a background story in between chapters to give the story of Friedrich Oppenheim and Esdeath as well as everything that happened from 1944 to 1963.
It would only get darker from here.