MuvLuv Alternative Schwarzesmarken:Volume 1 Chapter2

Progress: 18/110 pages done --Gabgrave (talk) 11:52, 18 August 2013 (CDT)

Chapter two

The Girl from the West

+++January 13, 1983
++1100hrs
++The German Democratic Republic
++Cottbus District, Cottbus military base

When she came to, her entire vision was flooded with white.

“...A wall? No...maybe...the ceiling...?” Kate whispered in vague awareness.

She turned her head slowly, looking around her. An unfamiliar room. Furniture—a battered table. The pungent smell of disinfectant. Katia noticed that she had been put to bed, dressed in simple pajamas.

“But...I was fighting the BETA...”

At a glance, it was obvious that this place wasn’t a base which the United Nations forces had built. The glass window at the bed side rattled with a high-pitched howl, piercing her ears.

“Аh...!“

Holding her breath, she turned her attention out the window. Beyond it stretched a wide snow-covered field. The world was painted in only two colors—black and white.

(The engines of a jump unit? But that doesn’t sound like an F-4 or F-5G...)

“Is this...a DDR (East German Army) Tactical Fighter Base...?”

Just as that thought crossed her mind, Kate remembered the last memories she had. Why was she still alive?

“The MiG-21… so… it saved me …”

That single scene had remained with her as her consciousness faded away, a sight that would be forever scorched into her…

++1110hrs
++German Democratic Republic
++Cottbus District

File:Chp2-01.jpg

250px

On both sides of the highway, stretched endless snow-covered fields with coppices scattered here and there. The only man-made object in the rural landscape was a chain of giant electric transmission towers going beyond the horizon ... No, wait. There was more, five MiG-21s, walking toward the West.

"It's a bleak sight, as always."

Theodore sighed, looking at the back of his companions’ TSFs. They were on the way back from a salvage mission. The aim was to recover from the fields of battle any broken tactical surface fighters, tanks and other equipment for salvage – before they became the prey of the BETA. The squadron was followed by a convoy of trucks carrying the collected salvage.

The 666th Tactical Surface Fighter Squadron, "Schwarzesmarken", had taken part in repelling a major BETA offensive – a battle which had lasted three interminable days, but finally, ended. Looking again at the unfolding scene before his eyes, he drearily heaved a sigh. There was about an hour left before returning to base, and the landscape had not changed at all.

TSF pilots rarely have to perform marches on foot, using the legs of the machines. Even more so when in a totally secure area in the rear.

They kept silent most of the time. If a similar march had happen a month ago, Annette and the younger pilots of the squadron would have broadcasted cheerful chatter in the air incessantly, but now all of them had died in the fighting, except for Annette, and she was ordered to undergo medical treatment.

“—By the way, Walter, have you heard of this joke before?”

Irisdine’s casual voice came through the wireless, breaking the painful silence.

“—Hoh? Which one?” Walter asked with interest.

"—At the dawn of the space age, the first satellites that both the Soviet Union and the United States had concurrently launched met in orbit. When communications with ground control were cut off, the two satellites began to talk:

‘Guten Tag, Freund, jetzt können wir schließlich in unserer Muttersprache sprechen.’ <Good day, friend, now we can finally speak in our mother tongue>”

Walter and Pham both burst into laughter. It was well known that the space program of both the United States and the USSR, grew out of the scientific and technological heritage of the Third Reich.

However, Theodore did not laugh. He had no wish to join in the merriment.

(What does she have in mind?)

Glaring at the face of Irisdine in the communications window as she tells another anecdote, he tightly squeezed the control handles again.

(That Eishi, what should I do......?)

+++January 10
++1310hrs
++Territory of the former Polish National Republic
++Approximately 26 kilometers from the West coast of the Neisse
++Krosno Odrzańskie Ruins

Pulling out from the ruins of Krosno-Odrzańskie which was swarmed with BETA, Theodore decided to move with boost jumps. The remaining amount of propellant was less than 10 percent. He could not afford another engagement with BETA.

Besides—

“Ahh, hot......”

A faint moan— He examined the state of the Bundeswehr (West German Army) girl, who was attached with a pair of straps in front of the seat. With every boost jump, the sudden acceleration twisted her body painfully. Theodore had to shoehorn the girl found in the broken F-4 into the cab of his own Balalaika. Since carrying the F-4 Phantom using a single MiG-21 was impossible, he was forced to abandon it in place. Most likely the fighter had already become the victim of countless numbers of Tank Class approaching from all sides.

(I picked up a troublesome package......)

Members of the NPA (Nationale Volksarmee; National People’s Army; East German Army) were strictly forbidden to have contact with the soldiers of the Bundeswehr. Officially, the ban was to prevent information leakage from the East German army and infiltration of spies in its ranks, but the real reason was to prevent the defection of soldiers to the West. So far, countless soldiers who were suspected to have contacted the West German Army to seek asylum to the west have been executed by the army and the Stasi.

Seen in that sense, for Theodore who has special circumstances, this would be indeed in an unfavorable situation, although it was only a coincidence that he had rescued a Bundeswehr soldier. If he took the wrong step, it was likely that he will again be under the eye of the Stasi. In the Socialist East Germany, just thinking of reconciliation with the capitalist West would get you marked as a person with dangerous ideas.

"Damnit, I was just following orders...... whatever happens is not my responsibility......"

The shock as the machine’s legs pounds the ground causes the control unit to jolt. The girl breathed with difficulty, as the small shoulder bag fastened to the belt bounced. The personal belongings of the girl had been inside the medical kit storage space from the F-4’s control unit.

(Those western guys, bringing their personal items in their cockpit......)

The indescribable feelings of displeasure boiled in my mind.

“Katia C. Waldheim......”

With the girl’s face, which still held the childishness of youth, in mind, Theodore quietly muttered to himself the name written on her ID record.

Theodore linked up with Irisdine, having arrived at the rendezvous point simultaneously.

“—You made it safely, Unterleutnant”

The view of Irisdine’s TSF projected onto his retina made Theodore breath in sharply. Most of the fuselage was smeared with pieces of flesh and body fluids.

“—Were you able to rescue the pilot of that F-4?”

“...... Eh? Ah, Yes.”

Momentarily taken aback, Theodore gathered himself and answered.

“The pilot is secured inside my control unit. Currently unconscious but there seems to be no injuries”

“—Affiliation?”

“—The Bundeswehr. A girl......”

“—I need a confirmation. Forward the data to me.”

I guess it’s reasonable that an oral report would not be trusted. After all, I had abandoned a comrade in battle earlier--.

“Transmitting video. See for your—“

Theodore glanced at Irisdine as he spoke— and his tongue froze in mid-sentence.

Irisdine was staring at the projected image intently, looking genuinely astonished.

“Err—“

In the next moment, Irisdine suddenly fixed her eyes on Theodore, openly meeting his gaze. Pinned by her eyes, Theodore lost awareness of his surroundings. He gulped. It was the first time that he had seen Irisdine show such a humane expression.

“—I’m sorry. She looked like the splitting image of my little cousin in Berlin.”

“Ahh...... verstanden.”

Certainly, anyone would have blanched if they saw their relatives in the Bundeswehr—.

“—Have you found out what's her unit?”

“According to the ID record, she is from the 101st Tactical Surface Fighter Battalion, Second Company.”

“—Her unit must have just arrived on the west bank of the Oder river. Indeed, they must have been attacked by the BETA while in the middle of mop-up...... Her name?”

“Katia C. Waldheim.”

“…During the rescue, there was only the one machine?”

“Yes. A single unit. I believe she was not able to escape because of the damage to the Jump Unit.”

“—And the fighter?”

“Abandoned. There was a swarm of Tank Class drawing close at the time—“

“—Is that so.”

Irisdine gave an approving smile.

“Well done, Unterleutnant.”

Theodore nodded with mixed feelings. He had been freshly reminded of the fact that his fate lies in her hands in the recent dispute with Irisdine.

Nothing would change the fact that the commander is a monstrous devil, a ‘Heroine’ of the Stasi who would willingly selling out her own blood and family— besides, the enmity arising from the recent altercation wouldn’t recede just like that.

“—Unterleutnant Eberbach”

Irisdine suddenly asked with a serious face.

“—What are your thoughts on the current state of the company?”

“State… of the company…?”

Theodore repeated the question reflexively, wondering about its intent.

“—Indeed. I’m not talking about our recent conversation. I just want to hear your opinion as a pilot.”

In the midst of bewilderment, Theodore considered the question. Even if he did not want to reply, he could only answer the question as ordered.

“I think that we are in a fairly dangerous situation.”

With a dry feeling in his throat, Theodore continued.

“In today’s battle, our unit started with 8 members. As such, it is indicative that conducting future Laseragd operations against the Laser class would only become difficult from now on.”

Irisdine nodded in silence. This time, it seems that she had no intention of rebuking Theodore.

“… … If Unterleutnant Hosenfeld becomes unable to fight, the company would only be left with 6 machines… … half the standard strength.”

And yet, missions would still be assigned to them as if they were at the full strength of 12 machines.

“The next time we have a Laserjagd operation, it is questionable if we can accomplish the mission successfully.

Giving her a challenging look, Theodore firmly shut his mouth. Although he believed that his fighting spirit was relatively stronger compared to those whose spirit had broke, still—

“—Well done, that was an exemplary answer.”

Irisdine gave a satisfied nod. However, she had a predatory expression on her face.

“—In that case, you would be agreeable to my plan, I would say”

“Plan? What plan…?”

“—This Eishi, we shall have her volunteer, to join the 666 Tatical Surface Fighter Squadron.”

“Wh-!?”

(This child… this person from the Bundeswehr, to add her to the team, you say…!?)

“—Like you said, our company is in a dangerous situation now. With our current combat strength, the success of future missions is uncertain. Besides, we do not know how soon we will be able to get replacement pilots.”

“What, you…”

Theodore gave a minute shake of his head in disbelieve. However, Irisdine ignored him and continued.

“—It is necessary to immediately replenish our combat strength ourselves, since we cannot rely on the NPA.”

“You, just what the hell are you thinking!!?” Theodore yelled.

Overwhelmed and bewildered, he raised his voice again like he did 30 minutes ago in the recent argument with her.

“This person… this child is from the Bundeswehr! You don’t have the authority to do that anyway! What will you do if she is actually a spy!?”

Theodore’s temples begin to throb alarmingly.

"We would definitely be suspected of assisting in espionage…!"

(Or else, since she is a member of the Statsi herself, would there would be no problem with whatever she does…!? No, even then…)

Whether or not she was a spy, Theodore didn’t want to be near a West German person. He didn’t want to come under the attention of the authorities.

“No matter how short on manpower we are...! Firstly, without the permission of Commissar Gr… Jeckeln—”

“—Did you think, that I would speak without having thought of that?”

“…!”

Theodore shut his mouth. There was a note in Irisdine’s tone that sounded like she had something hidden up her sleeve.

“—Firstly, there is a procedure to legally incorporate pilots from the west into the NPA.”

“WHAT!? A procedure? Since when—”

“—She only has to defect.”

“…!!”

Reflexively clenching his fists, Theodore felt something like frustration and impatience rush through him.

“—Under the international treaty that was mediated during the Cold War, East and West Germany recognized each other as sovereign states with equal rights.”

Irisdine provided an explanation without faltering, as if she had rehearsed beforehand.

“—However, there is a difference in the treatment of citizens. Both German countries feel that the citizens on the other side “belonged to us originally”. In other words, if a West German citizen wishes to seek political asylum in East Germany, they would be able to become a East German citizen without having to go through any complicated process. –The GDR administration acknowledges this as well.”

For one to be both a fellow citizen and a potential enemy at the same time – that official stance was the strange reality born from the cold war.

“—So, it is possible for legal admission into the NPA. Although an examination of the reason for defection would be needed for a transfer into the Unit, which would be within the scope of Oberleutnant Jeckeln’s duties, and since there is a precedent, it’s basically feasible. Of course, she herself must be willing as well, and once that is cleared, all is well. Political indoctrination can be left to Oberleutnant Jeckeln then.”

“But… what if she is a spy, what then…”

Theodore asked, choosing his words carefully. This conversation could be recorded as well, like with the previous argument—

Shaking her head quietly, Irisdine replied.

“—I believe that there is no possibility of her being a spy. Because I highly doubt that the Bundeswehr would sacrifice an entire company, just to get this girl in.”

“Sacrifice… an entire company…?”

“—I verified it just now, when I fought the BETA in order to confirm whether there were any survivors. Unfortunately, I didn’t find a single one…”

Indeed, considering the current situation of the war, it would definitely be illogical to make such a large sacrifice just to send in a spy. Also, if Theodore had been late for even just a second, the BETA would have already eaten her. Being able to rescue that Eishi, was only by fortune, surely.

That being said—

“Even if she really isn’t a spy, others wouldn’t be so understanding. You should know that very well!”

“—You need not worry about the Stasi.”

“…!!”

“—Management of military personnel is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence. The Army will not keep quiet if the Ministry of State Security were to infringe upon their authority. Though both the military and Stasi are controlled by the same party, they are still political rivals.”

(What she said, can it be true…?)

To Theodore, the Army and the Stasi were one and the same. Either one has the power of the state to rule with an iron fist.

“—Therefore, as long as they are unable to provide any concrete evidence, this Eishi cannot be arrested without warning. If they take any overt action, the Army may well turn it into a political issue.”

“…However, I doubt Oberleutnant Jeckeln would be swayed by your reasoning. In the end, won’t it be the responsibility of the Oberleutnant to handle her?”

For the inflexible Commissar Gretel, it would be strange to expect anything but hatred towards people from the West.

“—If the company gets annihilated, she too will die… Well, it’s going to take some ingenuity to persuade her…”

“…Then, what about the will of this girl?”

Indicating the unconscious girl with his chin, Theodore questioned Irisdine.

“What you just said, about her wanting to defect to the East, she has to agree to it right? Wouldn’t that be absurd?!”

Theodore said, as the underlying hatred grew.

As if there is a single person that likes this country enough that they would defect to it!

“—If my guess is correct, it’s possible that she holds good will towards the East.”

“Guess…?”

“A single TSF, fighting without backup… don’t you think that’s strange?”

“Ah…”

“—There’s a high possibility that she was caught up in some trouble. Besides, she is a fellow German...”

Irisdine paused for a moment, and then continued.

“—So, I would like your full cooperation on this matter… For starters, I need your help to persuade Gretel.”

As Irisdine’s blue eyes bore into Theodore, he somehow sensed great sorrow and determination hidden within.

“—As you know, she has a stronger sense of pride compared to others. In my opinion, it is unlikely that she will meekly accept this. That is where you come in.”

“…But, why me—”

“—That’s because you won’t aggravate her pride. For example, orders from me, or orders from Walter, which one do you feel less resentful of?”

“Urgh…”

Theodore choked on that. Although he had thought that he didn’t mind having it known, having it pointed out to him directly made him fully understand just how thin a line he had been on.

“—Considering how many times you have saved Gretel’s life, she would listen to you more than me, at the least.”

“…Can’t Walter do the asking?”

“—Walter is too close to me. Not to mention he was originally an Unteroffiziere (NCO). To Gretel who is a Commissioned Officer, he would definitely be a target for discrimination. He isn’t the right person for this.”

Theodore shook his head in doubt. He didn’t believe that Gretel would hold that high of an opinion of him.

“—You won’t know the result if you don’t try. And there is nothing to lose even if you fail, so it’s worth a try. If lets say everything goes well, the fighting power of the company can be recovered.”

“…”

“—I will carry out the persuasion of Unterleutnant Waldheim myself. That is all. Do you copy?”

Theodore swallowed dryly. The veins in his head continued to throb. Every breath he took felt like lead. Thinking desperately, he squeezed the control sticks.

(…What’s with this flow of events?! Making light of the Stasi, even trying to manipulate a political officer… Despite knowing all communications are recorded… Damn it!)

Deep down inside Theodore understood the rationale behind Irisdine’s plan. It is a fact that there are only seven pilots left in the company.

Furthermore, during the withdrawal action at Poland, under Irisdine’s command the only survivor who escaped the destruction of the Polish Army, Sylvia, was incorporated into the 666th TSF squadron. She had insisted on taking in a foreign Eishi that time as well.

But then…

(This girl, she continued to fight against the BETA alone in a single machine. At the least, she won’t be dead weight…)

Realizing that temptation was sinking in, Theodore shook his head to clear his mind.

“I have a question…”

Theodore forced himself to ask.

“What if, I was to say no…?”

Irisdine twisted her lips into an evil grin upon hearing those words.

“—Did you think that I would permit that?”

“…Tsk!”

“—In that case I would hand you over to the Stasi. It would be a simple matter to produce evidence that you were secretly contacting this Eishi.”

(This lousy bitch…!)

Theodore directed a murderous glare at Irisdine.

“—Up to now, everything I have done has been for the survival of the company… For the company to be restored as soon as possible, this is the only way.”

“—Be at ease. I will guarantee your personal safety. I have no intention of speaking of this to anyone other than Walter.”

Theodore had no choice but to admit that there was no escaping this. He could only bite on his lip till he tasted blood.

What if he were to inform Gretel of everything immediately upon return? That was also an option, but who knows what Walter would do then? Besides, if Irisdine was taken away, even if Theodore himself were to survive, it was very likely that the company would end up being annihilated shortly thereafter.

(There isn’t anyway out of this…!)

Feeling the humiliation and regret on the lack of power over his fate, Theodore loudly exhaled before replying.

“…I understand. I still have no intention to accept or trust you. However I will cooperate with you on this matter…”

Irisdine merely nodded in silence.

Theodore looked away from her cold blue eyes. He did not want to see her face right now.

“—Well then, let’s get going. If we delay too long, the others would start to worry.”

As she started moving the machine’s legs, Irisdine casually added.

“—About the log of the conversations with me, the unnecessary parts will be deleted so you need not worry. Well, to keep the flow natural, synthesized speech will be left in the appropriate places.”

“HUH?! For all of the recorded conversations—?!”

“—In general, yes. The recorders that the Stasi planted in the machines, we will overwrite them using the fake logs.”

Theodore was speechless. Looking at him, Irisdine gave an innocent smile.

“—To survive in this hell, such skills are needed, Kamerad Unterleutnant.”

◊ ◊ ◊

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