Greenland
II
30 April 1963
Greenland
1155
The KC-97 flies to its highest altitude of 30,000 ft while flying at 300 mph mere moments before its first objective in Greenland. The C-97 Stratofighter could carry over 60 airborne troops and evacuate over 69 wounded soldiers on stretchers. Carrying neither airborne nor wounded the KC-97 carries another important piece of cargo, the Night hunters. Prior to departure, they dawned on an extra couple of layers of clothing to freeze in the aircraft or when they land. They're also equipped with oxygen tanks for when the doors open and cabin pressure is lost in the front of their bodies and their parachutes on the back. Finally, due to the darkness of the night, each member has been equipped with an altimeter painted on with the numbers and arrow on the hand to make it easier to see how many feet they have left before having to deploy their parachutes.
Tatsumi looks out of the window of the KC-97s window as he looks out into the dark night sky.
"Not even a week has passed and I'm already on my first mission with you guys. It's like old times, isn't it?" Tatsumi turns to Mine who appears to be queasy. "Are you sick?"
"Nope. It's that I'm... not really used to flying at all... yet." Mine responded to Tatsumi's question as she hunches over trying to keep her bodily organs from spewing out. "I knew I shouldn't have that second coffee." Mine complains. Anderson stands up from his seat and walks over to Mine and offers her a couple of ginger tablets.
"Sometimes I get that, this helps a lot." Anderson offers to Mine, who grabs a tablet and takes it. He looks over to Tatsumi. "So, are you ready for this mission Tatsumi?"
"I had less than two days to prepare, but if I'm working with everyone that I've known before, then I know for certain that this mission will end quickly." Tatsumi responded semi-enthusiastically to Anderson's question.
"I see," Anderson responded. "But I'd want to know. In the years you were fighting for Germany with the Wehrmacht and SS. Where you are now, do you believe that you're in the condition to eliminate those who may have seen you as a hero?" Anderson asks a non-rhetorical question, knowing that Tatsumi would have to choose an answer carefully to show that he's no longer under the Reich's control.
A question Tatsumi could answer with a simple yes. yet such a simple answer could be scrutinized if not established. Physically he's well, psychologically they worry that his hidden subconscious could still be under Esdeath's and the Reich's ideology of National Socialism. Anderson wants to know, if Tatsumi can kill those of the Reich, even if they're unarmed or not entirely convinced of the ideology.
"I know what they serve for is wrong, but that can be said by them to us. I don't wish to spill more blood but I hope that they soon realize what they're fighting for it oppressive. If I have to, then I will try my best to not let them suffer if I have to kill them. Tatsumi answers Anderson's question. Akame, Mine, and Lubbick are delighted by Tatsumi's answer. Kurome and Wave on the other hand are mixed by Tatsumi's answer.
"Well, hope those platitudes of yours hold up." Anderson accepts Tatsumi's answer, Tatsumi nods. Then, the KC-97's boom operator walks down the stairs to see all seven members of Night Hunters. Anderson turns and walks over to the boom operator who closes the cockpit door. As the boom operator quickly glances at their faces, he that they're all eerily calm almost as if this wasn't their first mission, but this sort of mission is different from what they're used to as it will be their first HALO jump.
"Odd how almost all of them don't look to be military, but who am I to judge? At least we're getting paid extra for covert operations and a bit extra to keep my mouth shut," He turns to the officer in charge of them, "Captain Anderson, we're reaching the drop-off point in less than two minutes," The boom operator informs Anderson.
"Right, thanks for letting me know," Anderson turns to his unit. "Everyone stand up and turn on your oxygens. We're about to jump." Anderson orders and they stand up from their seats. The boom operator taps on Anderson's shoulder, getting his attention.
"You do know, this KC-97 isn't usually built for airborne operations, especially air jumps. Mostly for mid-air refueling. Never for jumps." The boom operator informs Anderson.
"Thanks for the info, tech sarge. Anything else for me to know about?" Anderson removes his beret and stuffs it inside his jacket as he talks with the boom operator. "Where did you go?" Anderson turns to see the boom operator standing next to the window outlined in yellow at the tail end of the cabin, hooking himself with a tether connecting to a bar adjacent to the removable window.
"The second I open this, the cabin will lose pressure and the cabin will start shaking. For the KC not to go down, you'll have to jump without hesitation." The boom operator informs the group. "You should put those masks on too. As the cabin is already depressurizing." The boom operator continues.
"Well, you heard him." Anderson turns to the Night Hunters Put your oxygen masks on and turn on the oxygen canisters. Once the cabin depressurizes, you'll feel some discomfort," He turns and points to Tatsumi. "You know how to operate your parachute, Incursitor." Tatsumi looks at him, which is just enough for him. "Right, you don't. On your right shoulder, there is a red cord. Pull that when you reach between 1,200- 5,000 feet. Understand?" Anderson asks with Tatsumi raising a thumbs up." Anderson feels the cabin depressurize and puts his mask on. The cabin fully depressurizes as the boom operator unlocks and opens the tail window and puts it to the side. The air rushes in and out as the KC-97 tries to stabilize itself with the rapid loss of pressure in the aircraft, the cold air rushes as the boom operator directs the group to jump out. Akame, Kurome, Wave, and Lubbock jumped after one another. Mine stops just before the exit clutching onto her Imperial Arms closely. She breathes heavily through her oxygen mask getting cold feet.
"I...I... I change my mind. I don't think I can go through with this, can I sit this out cap?" Mine ask. Annoyed by her hesitation, Anderson grabs and chucks the large briefcase-carrying Mine's Imperial Arms. "What the hell!" Mine shouted out. Also, being fed up, the boom operator and Anderson grab and push Mine out of the window-sized hole."Don't-don't- don't push MEEEEE!" Mine cries out as she falls out of the window. Anderson turns to Tatsumi.
"Go or I'll push you too." Anderson threatens Tatsumi, mildly taken aback by Anderson's actions. Not wanting to happen to himself as well Tatsumi jumps out and finally, Anderson jumps out. Tatsumi free falls from a height of 30,000 feet. He looks up and sees that the KC-97 disappears into the night sky. He looks down and sees the darkness of the night having taken up most of his vision, barely even seeing the round. Tatsumi looks down and considers all of the choices that led to this moment. He looks at the altimeter and sees it not moving.
"Is it broken?" Tatsumi asks himself. He looks around to try and find his teammates and sees none except for Mine. Her pink frill dress stands out in the darkness. Tatsumi flies himself to reach Mine's level. Though he can barely see, her shape makes out that she clutches onto her Imperial Arms, Pumpkin, for dear life. "Mine, open your eyes!" Tatsumi tries to scream out, grabbing onto Mine. He can barely hear her as the wind rushes into his eardrums. He looks at both altimeters and spots the two beginning to tick. Tatsumi looks at his altimeter closely and sees no movement. "Mine, open your eyes!" Tatsumi calls out once more. He checks his altimeter again and sees that it begins to tick rapidly counterclockwise from the twelfth sign, with all twelve numbers being marked as a thousand. He checks his altimeter once more and sees that it has reached the 9,000 feet mark. "Mine you should open your parachute now!" Tatsumi tries once more but couldn't reach her as she is paralyzed by fear. Not wanting for Mine to blow up into a red puddle by the time she hits the ground Tatsumi takes it upon himself to pull on Mine's parachute cord. Her parachute deploys knocking Tatsumi off of Mine's shoulder. Tatsumi rolls around through the air as he tries to regain his positioning he expands out his body into an x positioning, slowing down his spin. He takes a look at his watch once more. It has already reached 1,000 feet and begins to enter into the triple digits. Having no choice, he pulls on his cord, and his parachute deploys. He quickly descends at a fast rate. Not knowing how to properly land, for others assumed he'd already been certified to perform parachute drops for the Reich, Tatsumi lands hard on the ground, taking less than ten seconds for him to land. He groans a bit in pain and shock due to how rough the landing was but he nonetheless gets up. As he gets up he removes his parachute, its rigging, the goggles, and oxygen mask, leaving them on the grassy land of the island. Tatsumi looks around and tries to find the others but couldn't but not too far from him he hears a loud thud. "Mine!" Tatsumi rushes over and spots Mine huddled up and grabbing onto her Imperial Arms. "Mine, are you alright?!"
"Pl-please. No more. Don't...don't hurt me." Mine mumbles as some horrible flashbacks of her childhood flash before her eyes.
"Mine! Are you ok?" Tatsumi grabs a hold of Mine and shakes her awake. Mine opens her eyes and sees Tatusmi in front of her.
"I... I am," Mine responded getting herself up, removing his parachute, its rigging, her goggles, and oxygen mask from her person. "Alright, let's get this mission started." Mine begins to walk downstream.
"Wait, do we even know where we're going?" Tatsumi asked.
"Of course. Downstream is where the base is. From there, we carry out our mission. Kill those involved and intercept any classified material they have." Mine responded to Tatsumi's question, he accepted it nonetheless. The two follow the stream downriver and begin to crawl on their bellies as they begin to approach the former US naval radar base. There they also saw the others who also made it down safely without any problems.
"Is that it? It doesn't look well protected" Tatsumi comments.
"The captain did say it was a naval radar base. It would be a problem if the Navy came and had to destroy this base." Akame responded, passing her binoculars to Tatsumi. Tatsumi grabs the binoculars from her hands and takes a look through them. Akame points to a couple of positions of heavy armaments. One 85 mm bM. 52 anti-tank cannon and four MG 42A3 machine gun nests, a storehouse, a helicopter pad but no helicopter, and an E-Boat model S-100 being filled up with fuel by Kriegsmarine sailors with Wehrmacht soldiers acting as guards.
"Any ideas on how to infiltrate?" Tatsumi asks handing the binoculars back to Akame.
"We simply got to eliminate them. As long as we don't get caught, then it will be fine. Kurome and Wave have already entered. Kurome said she was going to use her puppets to lure them and Wave said he was going to acquire the ship. Lubbock and the captain said they were going to infiltrate and sabotage. Mine, you, and I will pick off the officers and those who would threaten anyone of us as well as to take any intelligence," Akame recites the plan told before departure. "Are you ready Tatsumi?"
"Of course, no reason for me not to." Tatsumi responded. Mine opens up her Imperial Arms case and sets up her Imperial Arms: Pumpkin's sniper mode.
"If you two want to get a head start go ahead." Mine advises the two, looking through her scope.
"You're staying behind, Mine?" Tatsumi asked.
"I'm a sniper, Pumpkin is good to take out those canons and those machine gun nests. Now go, I'll keep watch over." Mine repeated herself. Taking her advice, Akame and Tatsumi both run down the small incline hill together and low to the ground as the other members of Night Hunters begin their parts of the mission to wipe out the Wehrmacht Garrison stationed on the former US Naval base Bluie West Seven.
"Ich bin Kalt und todmüde," (I'm cold and dead tired) A Heer Obersoldat comments as he looks into the darkness in the southmost sector of the base, shivering in the coldness of Greenland.
"Na, es war deine Schuld. Wenn du diesen Witz nicht gemacht hättest, hätten wir in bequemen Betten geschalfen.(Well it was your fault. If you hadn't made that joke we would've been sleeping in comfortable beds) Another Obersoldat responded to his comrade's idiocy. The two are put on watch duty after one of the Obersoldats made a joke about the Führer.
"Was? Es war lustig und du hast auch gelacht." (What? It was funny and you've also laughed) The tired Obersoldat responded. "Na, wieder ich sage!" (Then I'll say it again) The tired Obersoldat decided to recite the joke. He clears his throat. "Der Führer steht auf dem Balkon seiner Große Halle und sieht die Sone aufgehen. Er sagt: "Guten Morgen, liebe Sonne". Die Sonne antwortet: "Guten Morgen, mein Führer Adolf." Zum Mittag dasselbe. "Guten Tag, liebe Sonne." "Guten Tag, mein Führer Adolf." Am Abend wieder: "Guten Abend, liebe Sonne." Darauf die Sonne: "Leck mich am Arsch, jetzt bin ich im Westen."" (The Führer stands on his balcony of his Volkshalle and saw the sun rising. He said: "Good morning, dear sun!". The sun answered: "Good morning, dear Führer Adolf". In the afternoon it was the same. "Good day, sun!" "Good day, dear Führer Adolf." In the evening again: "Good evening, dear sun!" The sun retorts "Kiss my ass, I'm in the west now.") The tired Obersoldat recited the joke once more. The second Obersoldat adjacent to him begins to quietly laugh at the joke, the very same joke that landed them on nightly guard duty for the next three long and cold nights. As they continue to chuckle the Feldwebel chimes into their conversation, having arrived at their position by an Auto Union's DKW Munga along with a driver.
"Und weshalb lachen Sie beide? Hat jemand eine Witz gemacht? Ich liebe ein guter Scherz." (And what for are the two of you laughing? Has anyone made a joke? I love a good joke.) The Feldwebel interrupts. The two return to their previous state of trying to be aware while on guard duty and not freezing to death. "Na was ist es?" (Well, what is it?) The Feldwebel continues insisting.
"Es war nichts, Herr Feldwebel. Wir versuchen nicht erfrien hier." (It's nothing, sie Unterfeldwebel. We're trying not to freeze here) The tired Obersoldat responded to his superior. Unimpressed, and also tired, the Feldwebel turned to the two Obersoldaten.
"Sie beiden haben noch eine Stunde Wache bevor die nächste Wachgruppe kommt. Verstehen?" (You two have an hour left before the next group comes. Understand?) The Feldwebel tells the two. Before he can continue the second Obersoldat points to a movement in the distance.
"Na, was ist das?" (Hey, what is that?) The Obersoldat points out, spotting a soldier who appears to be walking limp. He takes out his box flashlight and activates it. The light shows four Waffen-SS soldiers standing in the distance, unfazed by the light. "Na, wer stehen da? Haben Sie Ihre Soldbücher?" (Hey, who stands there? Do you have your paybooks?) The Obersoldat calls out. The four SS soldiers stop just mere feet from the men, wielding their StG-58s and still wearing their invasion uniforms.
"Gib es!" (Give it!) The Feldwebel takes the lightbox and walks up to the four SS soldiers. "alle Männer. Ihre Soldbücher raus!" (Everyone, your paybooks out!) As the Feldwebel walks closer to the four lined-up Waffen-SS soldiers, keeping his G3 close. As the Feldwebel gets closer a figure behind the four lined-up Waffen-SS jumps up in the air. The Feldwebel reacts and drops the box flashlight grabbing his G3 and pointing it at the figure in the air taking a few steps back to fire at the figure in the sky. She propels herself to bring her blade down at the Feldwebel. Dropping the box flashlight with the light facing the ground. The driver who brought in the Feldwebel begins to drive off with DKW Munga.
"Feldwebel!" The Obersoldat cries out, seeing his superior being sliced. "Funktionier das MG!" (Work the MG) The Obersoldat orders the tired Obersoldat who grabs the MG 42A3and begins to open fire at the four Waffen-SS soldiers and at the figure who sliced down the Feldwebel, the second Obersoldat fires a few shots at them. Dropping two of the Waffen-SS soldiers as the others doge but due to the darkness missing the figure who quickly cut down both Obersoldaten.
"Why do I always keep missing one?" Kurome asked herself as she removes her blade from the cut-downed Obersoldat. "But now I got two extra puppets to replace the two I've just lost. But I might be getting an ear full soon because I let them open fire." Kurome flicks her blade to remove blood from her Imperial Arms. Sheathing it with the soldiers that she summoned disappearing. She looks up and sees the fleeing driver but the vehicle spirals out of control and crashes into the nearest building, causing more noise than needed. In the distance, Mine had set up her sniping position and shot the fleeting driver
"Sorry, Kurome. But if they can get more to your position, then this would allow the others to wipe out the higher-ups and collect intel. I might make it up for you in the future." Mine mentally apologizes as she continues to provide sniping support to pick off any Wehrmacht and a small contingent of SS soldiers.
"Tch, thanks Mine for making this much more difficult for me." Kuorme thinks to herself as she spots several Wehrmacht Heer and a few Allgemeine SS security leaving their barracks with their weapons. Kurome unsheathes her weapons and summons all eight of her puppets. "But now with this many, I guess I don't need to hold back!" Kurome rushes in along with her eight summoned puppets. Over at the E-Boat S-100, a contingent of Kriegsmarine sailors look up and hear a firefight going on as they continue to work on the E-Boat.
"Was da drüben passiert?" (What is happening over there?) A Kriegsmarine Matrose asks as he peers over, overhearing the loud commotion that is happening a kilometer away from the E-Boat's position.
"Das ist nicht unser Problem. Beeil Sie sich!" (That's not our problem. Hurry up!) The Kriegsmarine Bootsmann responded as he continues to inspect and continue listing off the armaments on the boat. "Alles in Ordnung?" (Is everything ready?) The Bootmann asks as he turns, seeing the Matrose disappear. The same goes for the other twenty sailors who manned and maintained the boat. "Freidrich, Uwe, Yorkner? Wo sind Sie?" (Where are you?)The Bootsmann looks around mildly concerned for his crew. He looks around the edge of the boat and peers into the water. Wave, who was lurking in the water with his Imperial Arms activated and having removed many of the Kriegsmarine sailors off the boat and plunging them into the cold depths, jumps up from the water and drags the Bootsmann off into the depths. He climbs up on the E-Boat S 100 with its crew gone.
"Boat secured. I just hope Kurome and the others are alright," Wave speaks to himself as he looks around the cabin of the boat. "It was an effective but stupid idea of me having to hide under the cold water," Wave speaks to himself as he looks at the driver's side, looking for a way to operate the boat. "Wait, this boat works with a key. Dammit." He mutters seeing a keyhole for the E-Boat. Seeing it, he gets to work hotwiring the connecting wires in order to bypass the ignition by slashing the panels that hide the technological workings of the boat.
Hearing the commotion and ensuing firefight a radioman and communications Unterfeldwebel begins to make several signals over the telegraph.
"Achtung, Achtung! Wir sind unter Strumangriff! Amerikanische Fallschirmjäger!" (Attention! Attention! We're under an assault! American paratroopers!) The Unterfeldwebel continues. Before he can continue to warn the other sites he is lifted up into the air from his neck and bleeds from the metal strings that have surrounded his neck.
"Good thing I've made sure to disarm that telegraph radio," Lubbock comments and releases, dropping the now-dead Unterfeldwebel. "I should also take this time to find what else they're hiding here." Lubbock enters the communications cabin and spots an unused pistol on the table. "Nice, it's a Walther." Lubbock picks up the left-behind Walther P38 and stuffs it into his belt. Before Lubbock could escort himself out his wires give way. "Shit!" Lubbock jumps up to the roof and spots three soldiers enter brandishing their G3s, spotting Lubbock entering the radio building. Lubbock has his Imperial Arms: Cross Tails surround their necks and jumps down from the rafters. Using leverage and momentum, the three are lifted up by their necks and struggle until they stop moving. Blood begins to slowly drip as the wires around their necks severed their air supply. The number of Wehrmacht soldiers and sailors and officers, and a squadron of SS, drastically dwindle to none. Akame and Tatsumi joined in with Kurome to cut down the remaining Wehrmacht and SS soldiers, actively avoiding her German puppets who, all but two, are wearing white bandanas tied to their left arm.
Tatsumi cuts down the final Wehrmacht Heer soldier, Akame a fleeing Allgemeine SS officer, and Mine shooting down the crew who attempted to use the 85 mm bM. 52 anti-tank cannon and those in the MG 42A3 nests.
"That has to be the last of them," Tatsumi comments as he sheathes his Imperial Arms back in its sheath. Akame also sheathes her blade after flickering the blood out of the enemies she killed. Tatsumi turns to Akame. "I see you're still skillful," Tatsumi comments Akame's performance. Akame simply nods.
"Right, we should get going. I'm sure we're able to remove any resistance and came for any intelligence that has been left over." Akame informs Tatsumi. "Incursitor, Necromantress. Let's get going to the boat." Akame tells both Kurome and Tatsumi. They follow her lead to the boat with Kurome's puppets acting as rear guards. Tatsumi follows Akame and Kurome onto the boat with Wave finally bypassing and jumpstarting the boat. Next to enter are Lubbock and Anderson who are able to collect important intel from the Heer and SS on the stationed base as well as having found a box of other intel of the Reich's plans for their usage of Greenland. Finally, Mine enters the boat just as Wave has activated and begins to pull the boat back.
"Why did you just start pulling out when I just arrived?" Mine interrogates Wave. "The heck is wrong with you?"
"Sorry." Wave mildly apologizes. He turns to Anderson to ask him for their next location as Anderson begins to use the map to calculate and navigate for their second checkpoint. Applying what he'd learned from land navigation in hopes that it would translate well into sea navigation. "Where to captain?"
"You know where. Our second checkpoint." Anderson responded. The boat leaves the port leaving behind four of Kurome's SS puppets who were acting as the rear guard. Making sure there were no survivors by the time the Americans arrive to reclaim their radar stations. With the first part of their mission complete, the Night Hunters move on to the second part of their mission, doing the same of eliminating SS and Heer resistance and radar stations to make way for the American advance for a much larger objective and the liberation of former American territories under their leadership. As the Night Hunters leave, Tatsumi couldn't help but think to himself. Just like the Empire, the Reich and its soldiers followed a leader and were willing to commit or hide the atrocities in the name of their state, but here unlike those on the frontlines, they were simply on guard duty for a radar base. Yet such distinction doesn't faze those of the Night Hunters.
Author's note:
MG 42A3: Update to the MG 42, which is the MG3.
85 mm bM. 52 anti-tank cannon: Is the Czech model 85 mm vz. 52 anti-tank cannon. It has been renamed as such because Czechia is under the Reich's control.