After the Grangeville uprising and the assault on his garrison, Colonel Von Krieger and the remnant of his forces barely managed to escape the town and flee into the countryside, as they hoped to hide out for the duration of the war...
After the Grangeville uprising and the assault on his garrison, Colonel Von Krieger and the remnant of his forces barely managed to escape the town and flee into the countryside, as they hoped to hide out for the duration of the war. After hours of travelling and encountering other remnant forces, including displaced german citizens, the platoon decides to take a rest, but in the morning find themselves to be in the foreign land of Equestria, within the region of Germaney.
Little did Krieger know... This would be the start of a grand adventure ahead of him, one that would end with the birth of the greatest empire Equestria had ever seen.
The empire of the Germaneian Kaiserreich.
Crossover with 'The Long Long Holiday', first chapters are set before season 1 of FiM.
(Note, this story is not meant to support Nazism or similar ideals.)
Running. That was all Erich Von Krieger could do, and was currently doing, simply run. He and only a couple remaining members of the garrison they had just fled from were currently making a mad dash across the fields, sounds of gunfire, explosions, and shouting in the distance behind them. Krieger had thousands of thoughts going through his head, however those thoughts were soon interrupted by a tiny and very inconveniently placed rock appeared in the way of his foot as he ran, and soon enough his foot caught onto the rock and his face was on a collision course with the ground.
'Where did it go wrong?' He asked himself as he slammed down into the mud, his light grey Heer officer uniform becoming dirtied and ruined as he attempted to support himself with is arms as he heard one of his two surviving comrades speak.
"Herr, we must move now!" Sergeant Klaus yelled to his commanding officer as he and Corporal Fredrick helped the fallen Colonel to his feet, supporting him as he got his bearings. "Are you alright, Oberst?"
"Ja ja, I am alright Korporal, danke." Krieger said as he dusted off the mud and grime from his uniform, though it was little use with the mud seeping into his uniform. However, he had bigger problems, as he and his cohorts quickly took off running once more through the grass fields, eventually reaching the tall grass a fair distance away from the village. The shouting and gunfire dissipated behind them, and all of the German soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief as they crouched down in the grass and started speaking in English, which had become a habit recently.
"Are you sure you are okay, sir? I have my medical bag, I can treat any wounds-"
"Fredrick, I will be fine. I was lucky enough to not be wounded when my window was blasted open, especially when we managed to slip away from the garrison without being spotted."
"Indeed Kommandant, we are lucky. Now then... What is the new plan?"
"The new plan is..." He raised his hand, indicating he still needed to catch his breath, shortly before he continued. "The plan is to attempt to rendezvous with the rest of the Wehrmacht's current remaining forces and alert them to the enemy rebellion and invasion... However, if we wish to stand a chance of even reaching high command, we would likely need to meet up with what is left of the other nearby garrisons. From there, we set off for Germany and don't stop till we reach the border."
"Sounds like a good plan to me, Kommandant. However sir, I believe we need to accept the fact we likely will not win this war!" The corporal was rewarded with a quick slap to the face. "Ow!"
"Do not speak such defeatist propaganda, Korporal!"
"But it is true! Have you not heard? The eastern front is collapsing! If we fail to stop the allies from landing and pushing through our lines, we are lost!"
Krieger was prepared to retort, but then the words he was about to say died off in his mouth. The corporal had a point, and that point was... There was no point to this. There was no point in continuing to fight this war when it is as good as lost. The nazi party is practically the most hated party in the world currently, and considering how things are going back in the Fatherland, it was very likely that Krieger would be accused of cowardice and executed.
If anything, deserting would be the only way he and his men could survive, because he for sure would not be treated any better by the allies. Being ordered to execute any partisans saw an end to that possibility. His own men had been captured, and he was certain those gun shots signified their deaths. He felt pity for their families, but Krieger had his own to get back to, not that he had much of one anyway, just his great grandmother. Though, given how long he had been away from home, she was probably at peace now.
Maybe he could just lay low and get himself a new identity... He knew English, and could easily get his hair cut. Though it would be useless, and not to mention even more cowardly. If he was going to run, he was going to make sure that his comrades could run with him. So after a few seconds of thought with the two soldiers waiting in silence, Krieger finally responded.
"You have a point, Korporal. We will set out and attempt to rendezvous with as many fellow soldiers of the Wehrmacht as we can. Now then, lass uns loslegen!" The two soldiers nodded as they stood up, as Fredrick drew his Karbiner 43, and Klaus wielded his MP40. When the Colonel stood up, he drew his trusty Luger P08 pistol, a weapon that he had never truly used, but still cherished regardless. "Remember, only fire when necessary, draw too much attention and we will not even make it past the fields."
The soldiers nodded, and the group began their trek.
The three German soldiers had now been on the move for a couple hours, and they had heard plenty of distant gunshots, explosions, and shouting only cementing the fact that the German defenses had already been shattered. Krieger was probably one of the very few German officers that suspected the enemy was in fact going to launch a naval invasion, meanwhile High Command was so certain that there would be no attack, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel rode off back to Germany to celebrate his wife's birthday, on the day right before the attack.
Talk about horrid luck.
By now, Krieger's boots were thoroughly covered in mud and dirt, his pant legs even more soaked then when he fell. Luckily, his upper body had managed to dry off so at least he wouldn't freeze. His two compatriots did not fare much better, their boots practically caked in mud. As they neared the nearby road, they heard something in the distance...
Shouting, rapid footsteps, and engines. As the three soldiers ducked into some bushes, they peeked out and soon saw the source...
A caravan of grey German vehicles bearing the iron cross of the Wehrmacht, led by two Zündapp KS 750 motorcycles, as behind them drove a long line of five Magirus A3000 cargo trucks, and finally a fully crewed Sd.Kfz. 251 Half Track at the end, followed by a series of assorted German and French civilian cars. As he looked closer, he saw both soldiers dressed in standard Wehrmacht and in rare cases Luftwaffe uniforms as well as civilians wearing basic attire. Krieger also realized this convoy was driving away from the front, likely evacuating any German citizens from France back to the Fatherland.
Weighing the risks of either getting shot or being recognized, he soon exited the bush, holstered his Luger, and raised his hands high as he called out to the caravan.
"Halt, halt!" The two motorcycles leading the caravan quickly diverted and pulled up to him, as the soldiers in the side cars aimed their MP40's. "Wait! I am Colonel Erich von Krieger from the Grangeville Garrison! My position was recently overrun as me and what are left of my soldiers just managed to escape." The soldiers in the side cars quickly lowered their weapons before stepping out and saluting as Klaus and Fredrick emerged from the bushes.
"Greetings, Colonel. It's good that you met us, because not only are we retreating and trying to get these civilians to safety, we're also completely lack any form of higher command at this time."
"What happened to your original Kommandant?"
"Our colonel was killed by enemy paratroopers at the opening of the enemy attack and his second in command took over. We went against orders and left the city to take people to safety. Some of us here are from the city's air force base, who's commander was also killed. We accept any form of punishment, Kommandant."
"Don't apologize, it was a smart move and our duty is to protect civilians first and foremost. Well then, do we have a goal?"
"Indeed, sir. We plan to try to reach the nearest hills and set up camp where we can hide out for the rest of the war."
"Good." Krieger said as he walked up to one of the trucks to see men sitting in the back, their faces brightening at the sight of him. "Greetings, my friends. May I ride with you?"
"Of course, Herr." Krieger nodded as he climbed in with the help of two soldiers, before taking an open seat at the far back. Soon enough, Klaus and Fredrick joined him, sitting in the truck as the caravan began to move again.
"Here is hoping we reach ze hills without further complication..."
However, knowing his luck, they would likely not. And as he slowly drifted into a well need rest, his eyes shut and he fell fast asleep...
Prowling around the dream realm was the same experience as always for Nightmare Moon, as she waltzed through the empty void due to her foolish sister restraining her from entering her pony subject's dreams. The dreamscape was completely barren, not a single cloud or thought in sight.
That is... Until she saw a new cloud suddenly appear, one filled with grey fog. Intrigued, she slowly waltzed over and peaked her head in, and she could only watch in awe and slight horror at what she saw...
KABOOM!
The sound of a massive explosion rocked the entire building, as Colonel Erich Von Krieger was sent flying away from the window, as he curled up into a fetal position to protect himself from the glass of the shattered window as it pelted him. His mind rushed as he quickly opened his eyes, realizing he was miraculously unharmed before quickly standing up and grabbing his hat, placing it atop his head before making a mad dash for the door.
As he rushed down the hallway, more explosions rocked the building, as fires started to rage on the first floor. As he descended down the steps rapidly, he encountered Sergeant Klaus and Corporal Fredrick. "Klaus, Fredrick, what is happening!?!"
"It is the resistance partisans, Kommandant, they are attacking the garrison!"
"Then we must move! Los, los!" The two soldiers nodded as they rapidly made a dash for the back door of the garrison as Kriger followed, shielding himself from the raging flames before he saw the two soldiers stopped at the door.
"It is jammed shut, Kommandant!"
"Then get out of the way!" Krieger said as he rushed the door, putting his left shoulder in front of him as he rammed right into the door, busting it's lock as he tumbled to the ground outside. He gripped his shoulder in pain before being helped up by his comrades and looking back at the burning headquarters before they continued to run. "Scheisse..."
All this, as Nightmare Moon watched.
As she withdrew her head, she realized it was likely more of a memory than a dream, and it belonged to a creature she had never seen before. It had no muzzle, a strange kind of mane, a unique skin color, an odd uniform, and spoke in a strange language when he, or what she presumed was a he, talked to the other strange creatures. She could've sworn that last word sounded like some kind of swear.
Why she had seen this, she did not know, but soon enough, the cloud vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
"Huh..." Nightmare Moon said as she continued on her regular stroll, though her mind still wondered about what she saw...
Krieger awoke with a start, attempting to scramble to his feet until the Private next to him placed a hand on his shoulder to ease his down.
"Do not worry Herr, we just hit a pothole."
"Oh... Scheiße, I am at my wits end..."
"We all are, Kommandant, but if things go our way, we can hopefully be safe for the rest of the war, both from the allies, and the Nazi's..." Krieger couldn't help but notice a hint of sadness and regret in the soldier's voice, as he placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Tell me, what is the matter kamerad? Please feel free to get anything off your chest, if you wish to."
"Well sir... I was just conscripted during the invasion of France, then I was placed here in one of the local garrisons... The things I saw those damn SS do... I had to round up jews and send them to their deaths... Worse yet, when our lives are on the line, they toss us away and expect us to hold the line like a bunch of devoted fanatics. So that's why most of us left, to defy the Nazi's. Those who stayed were either too stubborn, had nothing to lose, or too loyal to the Fuhrer to abandon their posts."
"I see... The Nazi's ordered me to do terrible things as well, while I was in command of my local garrison. Hundreds of partisans and civilians are likely dead because of me. If it were up to me, I would've let them go with a warning or some jail time, try to keep up good relations with the town's people, yet high command wanted every single partisan dead. I told them killing the resistance members would only bolster their resolve, and yet they didn't listen. I have been in the army since 1925, and while I did for a time a subscribe to this... Fascism... I would never have foreseen what it had turned Germany into, and I would have deserted long ago if the Gestapo did not have eyes and ears everywhere."
"Well sir, I believe that we can start anew soon enough."
"Indeed, Kamerad."
"Please sir, call me William."
As the two continued to chatter, the convoy progressed along slowly, as it encountered more and more remnants of nearby garrisons and Wehrmacht army groups. Soon enough, the convoy had around eight trucks, six motorcycles, four VW type 82 Kübelwagen jeeps, and two half-tracks, along with even more civilian cars and trucks. Convoy leader and Lieutenant Colonel Franz estimated there was around one hundred and twenty total people in the convoy, with military personnel and civilians counted together. Luckily, the convoy still managed to keep a decent pace as it drove along the roads towards the hilly regions of France, and due to the darkness of night and being far behind the German lines, air raids were unlikely.
The convoy's trucks were carrying mostly rations and other essential supplies, but also weapons, equipment, and ammunition. Some of the civilian cars also carried supplies, with one truck having a radio hooked up in it's cargo bed. Most of the civilians were riding in their cars, but some walked alongside the convoy with their fellow soldiers and Luftwaffe pilots. According to some of the soldiers in Krieger's truck, the pilots were all from nearby air bases that came under attack, and they had managed to flee. Krieger was just surprised there wasn't a Kriegsmarine member somewhere among them.
The convoy members also stated that among the civilians were actually French citizens, either simple refugees fleeing the fighting, or loyal German collaborators escaping retribution. Either way, Krieger did not really mind. In fact, he swore he overheard some speaking Dutch or Swiss, which made sense seeing as those languages were from the countries surrounding France, and those who spoke it would likely have immigrants from said countries.
Soon, the convoy suddenly swerved onto a long and dusty dirt road, kicking up dust as the convoy drove along the roads going deep into the hills of France, as the rocky roads caused the vehicles to slightly shake, with Krieger's truck getting it the worse as he accidentally knocked his head against the truck's cab. "Scheisse!"
"Are you okay, Kommandant?"
"Ja, just minor trauma."
"Well, we should arrive in ze more dense part of the hills soon. The tree coverage and hill height should conceal us for the time being."
"Ja, let us just hope it is sufficient." The truck continued to lightly shake, light amounts of dust and tiny rocks kicking up inside the truck, as some soldiers let out coughs from accidentally inhaling the dust. Krieger simply waved it away, as he looked down to check on his uniform, seeing it had mostly dried off, though the stains still remained. He would probably need to find a spare somewhere.
He quickly took out his Luger from his holster as he inspected it, checking it's ammo count and how many magazines he had on hand. He doubted he would have to use it, but he wanted to be ready just in case. He looked to see the other soldiers in the truck clutching their weapons close, with Fredrick and Klaus inspecting their rifles as well.
After a little over twenty more minutes of un-eventful driving, the truck soon came to a stop, as he heard the truck drivers voice yell out. "All personnel unpack and unload, we are setting up camp for tonight!" Krieger watched as the rest of the soldiers on the truck grabbed their gear and disembarked, while Klaus and Fredrick waited for their officer to exit, as Krieger dropped down to the ground, stretching his muscles.
As he observed his surroundings, he watched troops unloading and unpacking supplies and equipment from the many supply trucks while civilians unpacked their personal belongings and baggage, as tents were set up and fires were being built. He saw that they were positioned on top of a tall hill, overlooking the area. In the distance, he could see the flak of Anti-air cannons and hearing the distant explosions of artillery fire. Distant, but still close.
The location would be suitable until they could find a more permanent holdout. Krieger then turned to Lieutenant Colonel Franz as he approached and saluted. "Greetings, Obserst. I hope you are satisfied with the position we have chosen to remain for the night."
"Ja, it will do. Have we set up night watches?"
"Indeed, the first shift shall begin once all of us are asleep. The civilians will sleep in tents and their vehicles, while we use our bags and trucks."
"Suitable for me." Krieger said as he turned to his two loyal soldiers. "You two will be bunking in the same tent as me for security purposes, is that suitable?"
"Ja, Kommandant, we do not mind. Even if that is a bit homosexual."
"Doesn't seem like that to me, just komarads keeping each other warm." They and a few other German soldiers chuckled as they walked over to one of the bigger tents that had been set up, as a Private lifted the tent flap and allowed them to enter as Krieger saluted them. As he yawned, he set his officer hat and Luger down upon a bed-side table, pulling off his boots and gloves. As his Komarades looked away, he proceeded to change out of his dirtied uniform, tossing it aside as he put on his sleeping clothes, before walking over to his bed and collapsing on top of it, finding it much more comfortable than sleeping on the truck bed. And soon enough, he slowly closed his eyes and drifted off into his well needed rest.
'There's that dream again...' Nightmare Moon thought to herself as she slowly walked up to the foggy cloud floating within the otherwise desolate dreamscape. As she inspected it, she could see the same figure she saw in the last dream, though he was instead sitting in front of a desk, a lamp illuminating him while he was holding a piece of paper as he stared at it blankly, his eyes void of emotion.
And as she peeked her head in, she understood why.
Oberst Erich Von Krieger,
By order of the Fuhrer, all partisans and the POW's of any and all hostile nations are to be executed immediately upon capture to deter further resistance to occupation and ensure confidential informational security is maintained. Any and all Jewish civilians are to be rounded up and shipped off to the nearest Internment Camp as per the Furher's orders. Failure to comply with this order will result in the deployment of a Schutzstaffel regiment to your village to relieve you of your duties. Any resistance to Schutzstaffel shall result in immediate execution for treason. You have 24 hours to comply with the issued orders.
Heil Hitler.
Krieger silently read the letter that Klaus had just brought him, his eyes void of emotion. He silently re-read the letter, and then looked to see the Eagle holding the Swastika of the Nazi party... That damn Eagle was responsible for almost everything wrong with Germany today, even if it was a symbol of Germany's new unity.
Krieger was always an apolitical soldier, not caring for who was in charge of Germany, as he served the Fatherland, not it's leaders or parties. Even then he had to agree with the fact that Hitler had revolutionized the nation in certain aspects such as it's grandiose Wehrmacht or it's Autarky, and arguing against the glorious war machines of the Panzer divisions would be a foolish endeavor. But even with all the benefits, never in all his years of being a soldier, had he seen something so cruel.
And yet, he could do absolutely nothing about his orders, like every good soldiers must do. He had to follow what he was told, or the SS would come to take over, and the people of Grangeville would suffer greatly. Whoever the SS sent to occupy the town would not doubt exploit the population for their own personal gain, mistreating them and rounding up to send to those damned camps.
The men, the women, the children, even that annoying collaborator Duran would likely be taken away and slaughtered or abused. And Krieger only had one way to stop it, and that was to follow orders, like every good soldier does. The orders to condemn the partisans to their deaths. A simple task, and one he had done before.
Granted, most of them deserved it for hurting or killing his own men and sabotaging his equipment, especially the theft of the garrisons flag and the destruction of his favorite lavender flowers, but some were less deserving of it, some just deserved... Maybe a bit of forced labor? His hands constricted around the paper, tightening his grip before finally ripping it in two and then shredding it into dozens of pieces, grunting as Klaus respectfully looked away.
All this while Nightmare Moon watched, as a long lost feeling emerged within her... A feeling of sympathy, a feeling that she had originally felt for her ponies, and now felt for this being, as it was no longer Nightmare Moon who watched, but was instead Princess Luna, as he watched the 'Oberst' stand up and finally speak up in his odd language.
"Give the order to the men. Bring the partisans in and subject them all to immediate firing squad. Make sure known dissidents watch."
"Understood, Kommandant." The soldier walked out of the room, as Kriger then fell back into his seat, staring up at the ceiling and contemplating what had led up to this point. He had wanted peace with the french people, to peacefully watch over them as he was told to, but now he was forced to send them off to their deaths. No wonder his people were hated, no wonder when his staff car drove through the streets he received glares of pure hatred. He wanted peace and prosperity, or at least something close, but only got dissent and death.
Now, while he did not necessarily agree with the Nazi party's views, he did believe that a German dominated Europe was for the best, as the Reich could lead the rest of the European nations to glory with it's advanced industry, technology, and military. Of course, he didn't think other races were inferior, but in his mind, better the Germans than anyone else in power. Germany had been made strong once more, but the way the Nazi's went about doing this was not very savory in his mind...
Krieger honestly wasn't surprised by the constant attacks on his men by the partisans. He thought that using brutal tactics would be useful to deter further resistance, which might have worked too well, seeing as now there was likely going to be an open revolt no matter what he did.
His gaze slowly turned to his right, looking to his Luger on the table, magazine already loaded as he slowly began to reach for it, until a dark blue hand covered in fur emerged from almost out of thin air and grasped his wrist, stopping him mid reach. As he looked to the owner of the arm, he was met with the worried face of... Some sort of pony slash humanoid hybrid?
"You do not need to resort to such things..." And it spoke English, of course... Well, might as well entertain his own insane delusions with his own English as he spoke back to it.
"I don't need an illusion of my guilt-induced insanity to tell me what to do. What are you anyway, some sort of mutant?"
Ignoring Krieger's harsh words, the figure continued. "Thou may have been forced to do such things to protect them, but there are other ways. Can you not oppose these... Schutzstaffel?" She said as she completely butchered the pronunciation. Strange for one of his minds illusions...
"Even if I tried or truly wanted to, I would not have been able to. My own garrison would be slaughtered and the towns people would suffer even greater fates underneath their boot if I resisted. Those partisans died and I could do nothing but give the order."
"Regardless, thou tried your best to protect the people of this town..."
"You know, you are very... Supportive and kind for something from my imagination."
"That is because we are not of thine imagination. We are Princess Luna of the night, and protector of all dreams. And we have seen your previous memory... How you and your 'Komarades' barely escaped with your lives... we suppose this is a memory as well?" Princess of the moon, huh? Might as well entertain his insanity.
"Mostly... the last part was a possibility I considered. Though I suppose you have further cemented that would be a bad idea..."
"Indeed, now then, how about we abandon this dreary environment and talk somewhere more... Friendly?" Luna said as she smiled and snapped her fingers, and Krieger watched as everything around him vanished, quickly standing up as his chair vanished, and standing at about one head short of Luna. "Now then, mister Krieger... Would you care to tell me about yourself?"
"Very well. I am an Oberst or, as you would say Colonel, within the German Wehrmacht's Heer branch, and I have served for almost 25 years... I was originally assigned to the garrison of Grangeville to ensure stability and improve relations with the local french population after the war. At least, that is what I was told."
"We see... we believe it is best we speak about ourselves as well. We used to rule over Equestria alongside our sister Celestia, before we went mad with jealousy and attempted to bring eternal night, which ended in our banishment. Now we await our return, but we believe you and the platoon you travel with may have a chance at redemption."
"How so?"
"We cannot say, but we can grant you the opportunity to undo the wrongs you did, and to potentially create something great for your people."
"... I would like that, Princess."
"Then it is settled! Rest well, Krieger. We shall see thine again someday..."
And so, Princess Luna vanished in a bright burst of light, leaving Krieger alone to contemplate his decision.
As Krieger slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the sleep in his eyes as they adjusted to the light that was flowing in through the currently open tent flap, as he heard shouting and yelling accompanied by rapid footsteps and movement. Wondering what all the fuss was about, he slowly sat up in his bed, his back slightly straining due to his somewhat old age of 38. As he set up, he looked over to see Klaus and Fredrick already awake, putting on their boots and Stahlhelm while securing their equipment. As Klaus finished gearing up, he walked over to Krieger's bed and saluted.
"I trust you slept well, Herr?"
"Ja, good sleep, good sleep. Just a strange dream is all... What is everyone shouting about?"
"Weiß ich nicht', Herr, we just woke up too."
"I see... Now then, let us make ready. We have a lot of ground to cover today." Klaus nodded, as he walked away and allowed Krieger his prviacy.
He looked to the bedside table with his new uniform on top of it, as his soldiers looked away while he proceeded to change out of his sleep clothes and put it on, properly securing it where it was nice and snug as he turned to Klaus.
"Hand me my boots, please." Klaus nodded, as he grabbed Krieger's boots at the end of the bed and handed them to the Colonel, who thanked him and placed his feet into them and secured them, as he was then handed his gloves and put them on. He then stood and walked over to the table with his hat on it, quickly sorting out his hair before putting it on while he holstered his Luger. He then nodded to his two cohorts as Fredrick opened the tent flap and they stepped out.
Krieger's hat did a decent job of shielding his eyes from the rather bright sun, though much of it's light was blocked by the dark storm clouds above, and so he was the first to see what everyone was freaking out about. The landscape was dramatically different, the sounds of war and artillery were replaced with calm and serene noises of nature. The area they had set up camp in had also changed, as they were no longer on top of a hill, but in the middle of a large field.
Krieger mentally cursed himself, realizing how this could be.
Looks like 'Princess Luna' was real after all, and that offer she made might just be true. Better not say anything about it and act surprised...
"What ze schnitzel!?!" The reaction was partially genuine, as Krieger was not expecting this at all. He then turned to see Lieutenant Colonel Franz approaching, as they saluted each other before Franz spoke.
"Oberst, are you okay? I do not know how, but somehow in the middle of the night our watchmen became unconscious and we were transported to a new location! Even stranger is the fact that none of our equipment is missing, and everything is practically the same it was last night!"
"Hmm... That is strange indeed... Nobody is missing?"
"Ja, all military and civilian personnel have been accounted for."
"Excellent. Well, it seems to have taken us far from the fighting, so perhaps it was beneficial."
"Indeed Herr. Though many of us are disoriented, many of the civilians are just glad to have escaped the fighting. Though many have stated that if we wish to stay ahead of the war, we should get back on the road before noon."
"Very well then, give the order for all personnel to pack and get on the road again."
"Understood, Kommandant." Franz said as he saluted before walking away to give the order, as Krieger turned to Fredrick and Klaus.
"This time we will be taking a jeep, so Fredrick, you will drive." Fredrick nodded as the three soldiers walked over to one of the currently empty Kübelwagen jeeps and saw Private William standing beside the car, as he saluted and opened the car's driver side door for them, as Krieger thanked him and climbed inside to sit down in the front passenger seat, while Fredrick took the wheel as Klaus and William sat down in the back. Considering the storm clouds above, the roof canvas had been rolled over the top of the jeep to protect from the rain.
As Fredrick turned the key and started the jeep, the rest of the convoy engaged their engines as well, as one of the bikers signaled for Fredrick to drive as the lead vehicle, as he nodded and pulled forward to the front of the convoy, leading it off of the grassy terrain and onto a rough dirt path, soon followed by the rest of the military and civilian convoy vehicles. As the truck drove along the coarse dirt path, it was far more bumpier than any regular path, so if Krieger wasn't awake already, he was definitely awake now.
As the jeep slowly drove along the road, Krieger swore he saw something in the distance... As he looked closer, it appeared to be... Smoke? A tall dark plume of ash and smoke rose from what appeared to be a village. As Krieger turned to his Komarades, they confirmed they were seeing the same thing. The jeep's radio buzzed as Krieger answered it.
"Herr, that village is smoking and burning, it may be under attack from hostiles!"
"Ja, we must investigate, tell our men to make ready for potential combative engagement, and have any civilian and military personnel with medical experience on stand by! Send forward our scout bikes to follow us as we investigate!"
"Understood, Herr!"
As the radio cut out, Krieger turned to William. "Step on it, los los!"
"Verstanden!" The Private then pressed down fully on the gas, as the jeep sped forward rapidly, two scout bikes driving alongside it as they drove forward. As they got closer to the village, the men in the jeep and bikes readied their weapons, as Krieger placed his hand on his Luger. If there were still hostiles within the village, they would need to be ready.
Whoever dared to attack an innocent village would face the full fury of the Wehrmacht!
Misty Light sniffled as she was pulled forward by the coarse rope wrapped around her wrists, looking back to the stallions and mares bound behind and linked to her, all of them bruised and battered from the raid on their village, the hope in their eyes lost as their horrid captors pushed them forward.
"Move it, you will all sell well in the slave market!"
"Ha, betcha the king will love some of these mares!" Misty Light glared at the Caribou before being slapped, feeling powerless.
However, an odd noise soon filled her ears, a noise similar to that of something snarling, as several metal chariots began to approach the slave line. The Caribou guards held their spears up, as the metal chariots came into better view, as Misty Light saw the symbol of a Black Cross with a White Outline, as the drivers of the vehicles wore grey uniforms and helmets, wielding strange pipe like weapons, or what she presumed were weapons.
As the vehicles approached, the drivers came into closer view as well. They were unlike anything she had seen before, with flat noses, no fur, and all of them almost had the exact same skin tone. The vehicles then stopped, as some of the passengers from the vehicles stepped out, raising their weapons as the passenger side door of the main car opened, and out stepped a creature that matched the height of the Caribou, a glare on his face and wearing a different type of hat, signifying their higher rank. What was even stranger, was the way the creature then spoke to them...
"Von der Wehrmachtsbehörde wird Ihnen befohlen, Ihre Gefangenen freizulassen und sich sofort zu ergeben!" Both the ponies and caribou collectively looked at each other in confusion, before one of the caribou spoke up.
"What did ya just say to us, punk?"
"Ah, you speak English, of course..." The creature then spoke in a language they all understood, though with a different accent. "Ahem... By the authority of the Wehrmacht, you are ordered to release your prisoners and surrender at once!" The caribou all looked at each other collectively before bursting out laughing.
"Oh yeah, or what?" The very caribou that spoke saw the officer reach to his side and pull out a strange weapon, as he glared right into the Caribou's soul.
"Or you shall eat my Luger!"
"Ha, what's that thing going to do to me?" The officer got an evil smirk on his face, before aiming the Luger at the caribou's forehead, and pulling the trigger.
The following sound and flash made every caribou and pony wince at the gunshot, before seeing the caribou drop to the ground dead, a large hole in his head as blood flowed from it. As the caribou looked back, the other unknown soldiers began aiming their weapons as well. The caribou nervously raised their spears, before restoring their confidence.
"Come on, these bastards are all talk and no bite, let's kill em and take their fancy toys!" The other caribou cheered as they charged forward. The leading officer simply sighed, as he raised his hand and clenched it, as the soldiers unleashed a hail of lead, their weapons releasing flashes of light and loud bangs as each and every single caribou dropped to the ground dead. The ponies shivered in terror, worried about what these creatures would do to them, until they heard the officer speak once more in their unknown language to their troops.
"Release the prisoners, tend to their wounds!" As the soldiers approached the ponies, they cowered away before they saw the soldiers reaching to undo their bindings, helping them cut free from the ropes and supporting those who were too weak to stand on their own. As Misty Light contemplated what was happening, she watched as the officer approached her and proceeded to undo her ropes, as he tipped his hat to her and smiled.
"Greetings madame. Colonel Erich Von Krieger, pleasure to meet you." The Colonel extended his hand, as Misty Light's eyes proceeded to tear up, before she opened her arms and grasped the unknown creature in her arms.
As the Jeep approached the line of prisoners, Erich Von Krieger already felt something was horribly wrong here. The people in the line had no military uniforms, they were civilians! The marks and cuts on their bodies indicated beatings and intense mistreatment of the prisoners, a strict violation of the Geneva convention, especially those pertaining to treatment of prisoners of war. Some of them were only mere children! Clearly these... Deer men were responsible for their bondage. Seeking to end this mistreatment at once, he disembarked from the jeep, slamming the door shut as he spoke to the creatures in his native language of German.
"Von der Wehrmachtsbehörde wird Ihnen befohlen, Ihre Gefangenen freizulassen und sich sofort zu ergeben!" Hoping the threat was sufficient, he awaited a response.
"What did ya just say to us, punk?"
Scheiße, English speakers... Even worse, they lacked even the most basic of grammar and refinement.
"Ah, you speak english, of course..." He then re-affirmed his threat in English, his German accent being prominent as he cleared his throat. "Ahem... By the authority of the Wehrmacht, you are ordered to release your prisoners and surrender at once!"
He awaited for the horned men to follow his orders, and quickly had his hopes of a simple surrender dashed when they started laughing.
"Oh yeah, or what?"
Colonel Krieger couldn't help but feel his heart and soul fill with rage as he looked upon the strange antler horned creatures holding the humanoid equines hostage, as he stared down the snotty and smug staring horned man in front of him. If he could, he would ring the bastard's neck right then and there. He had not seen such disrespect in his entire life!
Then he remembered he still had his Luger in his hip holster as his right arm fell down to his side before slowly pulling the weapon out, holding it out and practically brandishing it for the horned men and his comrades to see as he delivered a threat in the creature's native language.
"Or you shall eat my Luger!"
Krieger noticed the slight twinge of fear in the Caribou's face, knowing his threat had at least some what accomplished it's goal, before he saw that smug face of his return.
"Ha, what's that thing going to do to me?"
Krieger had sworn that he would never unnecessarily take another life...
But this was necessary, as his emotions drove him to tighten his finger and pull on the trigger, as the rapid bang was followed by the bright flash, and he watched as the horned man had fallen dead before him. When he considered the possible things they had done, his guilt vanished, as he watched the other horned men step back in fear while he placed his foot upon the dead caribou's head, watching as they nervously raised their spears, before their smug and prideful faces returned. God, he already hated these guys, and this was just making it worse for them.
"Come on, these bastards are all talk and no bite, let's kill em and take their fancy toys!"
Krieger simply chuckled to himself as he watched the horned men charge forward, as he turned to Klaus and his other soldiers, all nodding in confirmation as they raised their rifles. Krieger than rose his hand into the air, then clenched it, as the soldiers saw the signal to fire, and answered it, unleashing righteous lead fury upon them. The soldiers made sure not to accidentally strike the prisoners.
Each and every single bullet hit their target, each one was a clean and quick shot through the head, ensuring no chance of survival while keeping it quick and painless. As the last one fell dead, Krieger looked to the ponies, noticing them shaking and quivering in fear, some of them lightly shedding tears and cowering behind each other. Wishing to ease the situation, Krieger turned to his men and spoke them in German.
"Release the prisoners, tend to their wounds!" Krieger's men nodded, as Fredrick had already procured his medical bag from his waist and walked with Klaus and William as they moved with their fellow soldiers to release the civilian prisoners. As Krieger watched the treatment of the prisoners unfold, he looked to the one at the very front of the line.
The young mare's dark brown mane mixed well with her white coat, as her blue eyes looked up to him as he stepped forward and began undoing her bindings around her wrists. As he did so, he tipped his hat and smiled at the mare as he greeted her in English.
"Greetings madame. Colonel Erich Von Krieger, pleasure to meet you." He watched and waited for a response, before noticing the Mare's eyes fill with tears, before her arms suddenly wrapped around him as he pulled into a hug, listening to her sob as he lightly patted her on the back.
"Uhh... Zis is awkward..."
"Los los! Get these civilians tended to!" Krieger said as he directed his personnel, as by now the rest of the convoy had arrived now, as dedicated medics and doctors from both military and civilian backgrounds tended to the ponies. Though the ponies seemed fearful of the humans and their seemingly magical technology, they allowed themselves to be treated. The pony mare that Krieger had freed was luckily not that wounded, only a few bruises and scrapes. As he finished organizing the medical effort, he turned back to the mare who was currently sitting on the back of a truck bed, as he stepped up to her and spoke in English. "May I ask your name, madame?"
"M-Misty Light. And... Thank you for freeing us... But you shouldn't worry about us, you should head to the village, we still have ponies there." Krieger nodded, as he turned to some of his soldiers and raised his finger into the air and spun it around, as the soldiers nodded in return, before mounting on their bikes and in their jeeps before driving off to the village, with a couple civilian cars in tow carrying doctors and supplies. "They listen to your every command... Are you their leader?"
"Well, seeing as I am the highest ranking officer of the convoy, yes, I technically am." Misty Light nodded meekly.
"Uhh... What was that language you were speaking?"
"Oh, it is Deutsch or German as you would call it, the language of my people and the fatherland of Germany. I also know English, French, Dutch, and some Italian."
"Germany? Do you mean Germaney?" Kreiger turned to look at Misty Light with a confused face.
"What kind of name is 'Germaney'?"
"I should be asking you the same. I have never heard of this Germany, but I have lived in the town of Germaney all my life."
"Strange... In my world, Germany is an entire country, a unification of the strong German people. Regardless, whether you be German or Germaneian, by my word as Obsert of the Wehrmacht's Heer branch, your people will be protected." Misty Light's face visibly warmed at that statement.
"Thank you, Oberst..." Suddenly, the radio in Krieger's jeep began whirring to life, as he answered it in german.
"Go ahead."
"Herr, the village people are currently being tended to, but we require more men to help clear rubble and douse the flames."
"Understood, we are on our way."
He hung up the radio as he spoke to the entirety of the convoy in English. "The village requires aid, let us move!" Everyone then began quickly packing back into their vehicles, as some helped the ponies up onto the their feet, while Krieger allowed Misty Light into the front passenger seat as he sat in the center seat at the back of his jeep, along with Klaus and William. "Fredrick, take us to the village please." Fredrick saluted as he turned the key and stepped on the gas, leading the convoy into the village.
A slight trickle of rain had begun to fall as the Jeep slowly pulled into the town of Germaney. Though it was not as developed as a regular human town, it still seemed quite nice. At least when you ignored all the rubble and smoldering debris. The stone and wooden structures mostly managed to hold firm, while the heat of the still lit embers could still be felt. As the jeep slowly pulled into the center of the town, it came to a stop as it's occupants emerged while the rest of the convoy parked and unloaded as Krieger commanded them.
"Tend to the village, quickly!"
Already men and women from the convoy began helping to move rubble and douse fires, using water from a nearby well. Survivors were helped up onto their feet and had their wounds tended to, while there were luckily no casualties. As the center square was turned into a medical camp with tents and supplies dotted around, Krieger entered a tent where Misty Light was sitting up in a bed currently recovering, as Krieger pulled up a stool and sat down beside her bed.
"Greetings Kameradin. May I ask you a few questions?"
"Of course, it's the least I could do for you."
"Very well... Tell me, who is responsible for these attacks on you?" Misty Light visibly clenched her fists at the thought of her captors, before letting a breath and calming herself.
"They come from... the Caribou kingdom, a nation of despotic slavers, rapists, bandits, and murderers." Yep, Krieger for sure hated those guys now.
"Have there been any other raids before?"
"Yes, but they were on other villages. We were the last targets." Of course, preying on the weaker villages first before going for the big prize.
"Were there not any defenses in place?"
"Our guard wasn't even properly trained, much less even had the guts and equipment to stand up to them." Krieger's face contorted with slight worry. These ponies could not even defend themselves.
"I see... Will they ever return...?"
"Well... When they realize there raiding party hasn't come back... They'll come and slaughter us..."
"Well then... They can try." Krieger said as he stood up from his stool while Misty Light appeared surprised.
"W-what?"
"For when they come once more, they will find the might of the Wehrmacht waiting for them..."
"Los los! Get all of the rubble out of the way and assist with repairs, make haste!" Oberst Erich Von Krieger yelled out to his humans soldiers and civilians in German as he passed by, shouting out his window while he rode in the front passenger seat of his personal jeep while William drove it forward through the streets of the town, steering and making sure to avoid debris and rubbles to preserve the jeeps tires. In the back rode Klaus and Misty Light, as Fredrick was currently back at the medical camp caring for the wounded townspeople. Or townsponies...? Krieger was unsure of what to call them currently, but he would have to figure out later.
Looking back towards Misty Light, he smiled and spoke to her in English. "Are you certain this is the way to the town hall?"
"Y-yes, it's about three floors tall, hard to miss really." Krieger nodded, as he turned around and saw what she meant, as a large three story building stood before the vehicle, dwarfing his original garrison building in Grangeville.
"How is it so much bigger than the rest of the town? Surely such materials and labor could be invested in improvements across the town rather than simply to the town hall itself."
"Well, the mayor told us that building it up would allow us to take shelter inside... But, when the attack came, he called in his personal guard to shut the gate and he hid inside the whole time..." Oh boy, a corrupt town official that prefers to serve himself rather than the people he was elected to serve, cowering away while his very friends were taken away. He was going to take a long and personal talk with this mayor when he got his hands on him.
As they approached the town hall, they saw the gate and as Misty Light confirmed, it was locked tight, guarded by two stallions wearing golden armor. Ugh, what an inefficient waste of gold and steel, a standard issue Wehrmacht Stahlhelm would likely absorb impacts better than that fancy armor! Regardless, he proceeded to poke his head out the window and yell out in English. "By order of ze Wehrmacht, you are required to open zis gate!"
The two stallions remained silent, not even so much as batting an eye. Clearly they thought they were too good for the Colonel, either that or they were under some type of vow of silence considering how dated in terms of tradition this land must be. Regardless, it did not matter if they did not wish to move. For with the power of the Kübelwagen, he would make them move, as he ducked his head back inside before turning to William and nodding, as William proceeded to step on the gas as the vehicle accelerated forward rapidly.
The stallions barely had time to react as fear filled their faces before they leaped out of the way of the approaching vehicles before it rammed straight through the gate, shattering the lock as it came to a stop right before hitting a fountain in front of the building entrance. Soon enough, the building's front door opened, as half a dozen guard stallions and mares emerged, all raising their spears as they surrounded the vehicle, with the two previous guards once guarding the gate joining the encirclement.
William and Klaus reached for their weapons while Misty Light silently quivered, until Kriger raised his hand, as he opened his door and stepped out of his vehicle, only to have a spear thrust towards him, as it was barely an inch away from his neck. "Your under arrest for trespassing on private property and property damage, unknown creature!" The guard stallion holding the spear spoke in an authoritative tone, yet Krieger could sense his fear, as he stood almost a foot taller than the stallion.
Before Krieger could reply, he heard the building's doors open again, as a stallion that was even shorter than the guards emerged, a grey mane on his head along with a beige fur coat on his body as he wore what Krieger could only describe as a traditional suit and tie, instantly signifying him as the mayor, as the stallion slowly smoked a cigar before speaking. "Stand down guards, this man deserves recognition for what he's done. After all, he has brought back our people from those pesky caribou."
The guards immediately nodded, retracting their spears as the one pointed at Krieger's neck withdrew, it's wielder bowing.
"M-my apologies, sir." Krieger couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh it's quite alright. I mean, who can blame you? Strange creature comes breaking through your front gate in a strange metal vehicle wearing a strange uniform with a strange language and accent, in fact I would've been surprised if you didn't hold me at spear point!" Krieger said as he let out a laugh, the guard lightly chuckling while the suited up mayor chuckled along with him.
"Oh, you've got quite the character, mister. Names Bright Skies, and you?" Ironic name...
"Oberst Erich Von Krieger, though Lieutenant would also be suitable in the case of your language. I am a member of ze Wehrmacht's Heer Branches Officer Corp, and current commanding officer of my convoy and its accompanying people."
"I see. Well then, welcome mister Krieger, to our little town of Germaneia. How about you come inside and we have a little chat, hm? Your friends will have to stay out here though." The Mayor said as he turned around and reentered the building, while Krieger turned and nodded to his soldiers and Misty Light as William quickly started up the jeep and drove out of the town hall square, escorted by several guards.
As the Colonel walked inside, he noticed a couple tables flipped over, likely meant to serve as hasty barricades in the case of the front gate being breached. He honestly doubted these guards could stop those Caribou, even with their fancy weapons and armor. Speaking of fancy, the interior of the town hall was lined with golden candle holders and fancy pictures of the mayor. Sheesh, even more waste of gold, and they didn't even have electricity! Krieger and his people would likely need to educate these ponies on the wonders of modern technology.
Following the mayor up the stairs, he turned around to notice two guards following him, as they soon reached the third floor and the mayor opened the door to his officer, taking a seat behind his large desk as he gestured for Krieger to sit as well, to which he agreed, sitting down in the chair and sinking into it's cushions.
"Finally, a proper chair, you have no idea how long I have been sitting on stools or metal seats for the past hours." The mayor chuckled.
"I'm certain that your long trek has strained you indeed."
"Ja ja... Now then, there is something I wish to speak with you about..."
"Oh, and what is that?"
"When I encountered the Caribou raiding party attempting to smuggle your people away from the town, I made sure to dispatch them quickly, but I must know, how long do we have before they return?"
"Can't say, usually it takes about a month for each raid to happen, so I imagine that it takes some time to get back to their home. I'd say we got at least a week before they come sniffing around again."
"I see... Now then, why were you guards not protecting the people of the town during the raid?" The Mayor suddenly seemed to get nervous, tiny beads of sweat rolling down his face.
"W-well, my guards were too busy defending other places of the town that when we were attacked, we didn't have time to react."
"I see... So why does Misty Light and other state that you called the guards back to defend your residence?"
"That is preposterous, it is slander I tell you!"
"Then explain why your building was so well defended, and not to mention, well constructed and funded..." By now the Mayor was starting to freak out, more sweat dripping down his face. His deafening silence was all Krieger needed. "Mister Bright Skies, I apologize but under my authority of an Oberst within the Heer Branch of the Wehrmacht, I hereby order your abdication from power and placement of this town under military command." The mayor was left speechless by Krieger's direct delivery, yet he regained his composure and spoke up.
"Now you listen here mister-"
"No, YOU listen here, Mayor! I have encountered many corrupt individuals like you before, those who mooch off the back of those they are supposed to help and protect, and when you are in danger, you throw them at the enemy to save your own hide. Your willingness to protect your own possessions over your people is telling enough of how you are unfit to lead this town any further." The Mayor was left speechless, his mouth hanging open, until he finally responded.
"Well then... I suppose I really don't have a choice do I? You and your men got better weapons and better technology, plus I suppose I have been a bit greedy..."
"A bit?"
"Okay maybe the power got to me. Besides, my term was almost over anyways. It's about time I take a vacation. Cities all yours, mister Krieger, I only hope you take good care of my people." Bright Days said as he stood up and shook Krieger's hand.
"I will do my best." Krieger said as he watched Bright Days walk up to his two guards and speak them to them.
"You let the other guards know that you report to the Oberst now."
"Yes sir." The two guards nodded as they walked out of the room, the mayor following before William and Klaus walked in with Misty Light following behind.
"Apologies Kommandant, we were worried, but I see you have managed to negotiate successfully."
"Indeed, go and tell our people to assist with reconstruction, and have our soldiers prepare fortifcations around the town's perimeter."
"Verstanden!" The soldiers both saluted before walking away, as Misty light turned to follow them, before Krieger spoke up.
"No no, you may stay madame. In fact, I wish to know what job you had before the attack."
"I... I didn't have a job, I had just gotten laid off from my last one."
"I see... Do you have any experience in paperwork, managing, or relaying information?"
"U-umm yes, kinda. I worked as a newspaper writer once."
"Congratulations, you are now my new assistant madam Misty Light."
"O-oh uh, thank you mister Krieger." She said as she smiled and bowed to him before rising back up. "What are we going to do now, sir?
Krieger turned and walked behind the desk, facing the window overlooking the entire town, seeing both it's intact and charred buildings. "What else? We rebuild and prepare. Now then, could you be a dear and go assist with the reconstruction?" Misty Light nodded as she exited the room, closing the door behind her as Krieger took a seat in the ex-mayor's chair. Quite comfy. As he faced outside the window, he took a deep breath, and took a well deserved and needed nap.
Krieger sat at his desk with his arms crossed as he stared at the large amount of papers currently on his desk. Krieger had to admit, Misty Light was very good at gathering together information and organizing it. Already she had recorded the total damage to the town, current resource reserves, and available manpower, or as she put it, ponypower, yet another alternate version of a human word. As he looked at the information, he wasn't exactly thrilled...
From the looks of it, the Caribou raiders had damaged mostly residential buildings, stores, and the city market, ransacking them for loot. The total resources available, while low, would be sufficient to repair most of the damages. According to some of the papers, a nearby quarry was where they got there stone and other resources from, indicating that while they were capable of using excavation techniques, they hadn't exactly mastered it or even created concrete. However, what did make him happy was the available workers, as excluding his soldiers, he had around three hundred ponies and two hundred humans to work with, which would no doubt be helpful in both repairing the town and fortifying it.
As he read, a knock was heard on his door, as Misty Light poked her head in, who looked somewhat surprised at seeing Krieger without his hat on, as Krieger chuckled before she gained her composure.
"I found the construction expert you were looking for, sir."
"Excellent, send him in." Krieger said as Misty Light nodded, the door opening to reveal a human male in French civilian attire wearing a black beret, a mustache on his face as he saluted and took a seat in front of Krieger's desk. "Greetings mister..."
"Joseph Pierre, monsieur Krieger, though you may simply call me Pierre. I understand you require the aid of an expert in construction and architecture no?"
Krieger was surprised to hear the man speak French with it's unique accent, though considering his convoy included several french citizens, he wasn't surprised. Luckily, Krieger knew a bit of french, so he knew how to properly speak with his French comrade, replying in fluent French to Pierre. "Ja my freund, I require someone who can assist in organizing a work force to rebuild this town, as well as help direct further construction and improvements. I trust you are up to the task, mister Pierre?"
"Of course monsieur. After all, I was the head architect of my town's local committee before coming here, and having went to architecture school and taken courses on both construction and management, I believe I will be able to help redefine this town and truly make it great. If you will have me of course."
"Well, I see no better option than to grant you the duty, Pierre. I have no doubt you will make this town a good place to live for both pony and human. Our first goal is to organize all of the able bodied workers into an effective labor force with efficient work teams. You will coordinate with my assistant Misty Light to complete this."
"Yes yes, I understand Krieger... Speaking of which, I just want to say, I do not truly hold any type of grudge against you Germans for occupying my country, as I saw our previous government as weak, but I do not believe that others will see the same thing. I only ask that you treat them with respect, and eventually they will forgive you."
"I will do my best Pierre, as I too wish to see the fence between our peoples mended." Krieger said, shaking Pierre's hand before he got up and prepared to open the door and leave the room, but not before turning around and speaking.
"Also Kommandant, I do have a German friend who went to engineering school, and I believe he could be of aid."
"Really? If so, feel free to have him come in." Pierre nodded, opening the door as a man dressed in more German looking civilian attire with a bowler hat appeared in the door way, saluting as he shook Pierre's hand before walking in as Krieger gestured to the seat in front of him, which the man promptly took and sat down in before speaking in German.
"Greetings Oberst Von Krieger, I am Thomas Maximilian, though everyone simply refers to me as Thomas. I understand you are also looking for someone to assist in bringing the local... Pony populace up to date in terms of technology and engineering, yes?"
"Indeed, Thomas, we are in need of educating the populace about the wonders of German engineering, and I have no doubt that from what Pierre has said of you that you will be successful in doing so. However we are likely to encounter some... Difficulties, due to the more primitive nature of the equines."
"Indeed, no offense to them, but they are within the medieval era while we are in the modern world. It will be a difficult historical and technological gap to cross in the short amount of time we have. I hope you will work with Pierre to help introduce our modern techniques and advancements to the ponies."
"Of course, Kommandant, I will not fail you." He said as he saluted before shaking Krieger's hand and exiting the room. Krieger then went back to looking through his papers. Most of them were just taxes, census records, and order forms for useless golden furniture, but said furniture could easily be melted down for use in electronics, so it's still a win. A few minutes later, Misty Light poked her head in.
"S-sir, Lieutenant Colonel Franz wishes to speak with you, outside..." Krieger nodded as he slipped his officer's hat on and stood up from his chair, before following Misty Light down the stairs and outside. As they entered the town hall courtyard, a dozen royal guards quickly lined up in front of the entrance on both sides, forming a path for Krieger as he admired their ability to maintain formation before seeing Franz standing at the end of the line, saluting, as Krieger and Misty Light saluted back before the Colonel spoke.
"Mein Kommandant, I am happy to report that we have established a military encampment on the eastern outskirts of town. We have already begun unpacking supplies and the construction of fortifications. Any soldiers not assigned to fortification, unloading, or patrolling, has been tasked with assisting reconstruction efforts, as per your orders. We have also made sure to assign our medical personnel to the medical camp at the center of the town so we can maximize our treatment of the wounded populace."
"Good good, your efforts have not gone unnoticed Lieutenant. Due to me now being in direct command over this entire town and thus my promotion to local governor, I have a lot of other things to focus on, and as such, I am promoting you to Oberst so that you command our forces in the case of my absence." Franz looked surprised, as he quickly saluted once more.
"I am honored, mein Kommandant. I will not fail you!"
"I doubt you will. And also, get some uniforms and equipment for these... Town guards. There armor is gaudy and worthless in terms of protection." The guards seemed offended by this.
"Understood Herr, I will requisition new uniforms and equipment for them to utilize, as well as assign them to a proper training regiment. Now then, I will be returning to the camp now to oversee training and logistics, would you like to come along with me, Guvernör?"
"Why yes I would." Krieger said as he and Misty Light followed Franz into a jeep as the driver turned the key and it started up before driving out of the courtyard and into the town streets which had already been cleared of rubble, as Krieger looked out the windows to already see human workers commencing re-construction, carrying beams, hammering nails, and sawing wood as pony civilians looked on in awe at the humans and their tools. Krieger was surprised the ponies didn't even know about the basic tool of a hammer! He and his people had a lot of work cut out for them if they were ever going to modernize the populace.
As they drove by, Krieger could see ponies being assisted by humans whenever they needed help, and surprisingly, the ponies did so in return, as he watched a human carrying a bag of wheat trip and fall, only to caught up in a purple aura as a unicorn helped stop their fall. Misty Light had told Krieger of this... Magic, but he was still skeptical. He also watched as Pegasi helped lift materials into position to allow workers to get the job done much easier, yet another intriguing display of pony biology.
Soon enough, the car began to pull into the military camp, as Krieger watched troops marching and training, setting up tents, unloading supplies from trucks, digging trenches, and setting up sandbags. As he disembarked, he took in a smell of the air.
Oberst turned Military Governor of Germaneia Erich Von Krieger was in a bit of a pickle, as the Americans would put it from what he had heard of their metaphors. Currently sitting within his command tent in the recently constructed military command camp, he was surrounded by Oberst Franz, Sergeant Klaus, Sergeant Fredrick, who was promoted due to his skill and courage of treating the wounded within the town's medical camp, and finally Sergeant Fritz, originally the driver of the first Half-Track part of the original convoy, who was currently stroking his mustache.
All five of them were sat around a table with a map of the town and it's surrounding area, with a grey marker indicating the military camp, a black marker indicating the Town Hall, and finally two green markers on the two roads leading into the town. Around five grey figures depicting Wehrmacht soldiers could be seen on the map, each one representing a different platoon. One platoon was currently training and arming up inside the military camp, another was present at the medical camp acting as guards and assistant medical personnel. The remaining three were scattered through the town, as they ran patrols or assisted the work crews with repairs.
A red line was drawn in marker around the perimeter of the town making a circular shape, indicating the fortification line as figures of bunkers and sandbags could be seen along the line. Krieger thought the line looked pretty well designed and defended, but judging by the fact that Franz and Fredrick were currently still debating over the line's positioning in German, not everybody shared his sentiment.
"Fredrick, I understand your wish to ensure total protection of the town, but if we bring the line in too close, we will have barely any fallback space and thus barely any time to rig an emergency defensive if the line collapses!"
"But if we extend it too far, then we'll take too long having to fall back, and they will be able to easily use our defensive line to encircle us and starve us out!" Suddenly, Fritz spoke up, drowning both of the men out.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen! It is clear that this defensive line is important, but you are overestimating our enemy! From what Herr Krieger has said, these Caribou wield nothing but sharp sticks and stones! It is clear that we not only have the advantage of firepower and likely manpower, but also technology. As such, we must exploit our technological supremacy to the fullest and launch an armored assault!" Both of the men slowly nodded their heads, before Franz suddenly spoke up.
"Fritz my dear friend, with all due respect, we have a very limited amount of armored vehicles which are capable of achieving such a daring counter attack as you suggest. My recommendation is, while still utilizing our firepower and technological advantage, to unleash a hail of bullets and simply endure the enemy charge, like our forces in the siege of Stalingrad did."
Krieger listened to each side of the argument, and while everyone was keeping a level head and being relatively calm in this discussion, the debate between the various methods of defense was beginning to get on his nerves, so he audibly cleared his throat to get their attention, and their attention he got as he stood up.
"Komarades please, I believe you are all not seeing the bigger picture here. It is clear that this town is very vital, and due to that, letting it fall is not an option, so I ask that we may try and combine our methods together." Krieger said as he pulled out the box of map tools and got to work.
First, he pulled out two grey models of Sd.Kfz. 251 Half Tracks and six models of Zündapp KS 750 motorcycles, placing them along the middle line. Then, he pulled out his marker and drew two new lines, one inside and one outside of the original line, before pulling out models of bunkers and sandbags as he placed them along the lines, even pulling out a couple figures of barbed wire for added detail.
"The creation of three inter-connected defensive lines around the town's will ensure that we may be able to fall back and properly adapt to hostile aggression. We will position our armored vehicles on the secondary lines ready to intervene should hostiles manage to somehow bypass the first defenses. By deploying our machine guns at the both the first and last lines of defense, we can ensure that our most advanced weapons will be able to have some effect." The other four officers slowly nodded in agreement at Krieger's plan, until Franz raised his hand.
"But Herr, where are we going to find the manpower required to dig this trench netwrok?"
"Well, we could always enlist the assistance of the locals. After all, it is for the defense of their town. Plus, if we require additional manpower, or in this case ponypower, we can conscript willing recruits into the Volksstrum, once we properly form it that is." Suddenly, the tent's flap opened, as Misty Light stepped through holding a clipboard and wearing glasses as she smiled.
"Mister Krieger, I came to tell you that a couple humans are currently at the town hall waiting to speak with you, though they aren't in any rush-"
"No worries, Miss Light, I am now available after forming an effective defensive strategy. Now then, Franz, deliver the new orders to all platoon leaders. Klaus, train all of our less experienced soldiers and ensure they are ready for the battle. Fredrick, return to assist at the medical camp, and once all patients have been treated, assist with organization of the defenses by directing fortification efforts and recruiting personnel. Fritz, ensure all of our vehicles are highly maintained and well kept." The four officers saluted before walking out of the tent as Krieger and Misty followed behind before stepping into Krieger's personnel jeep drove by Private William as it started up and headed off to the Town Hall.
Driving past the medical camp, he could see many of the wounded ponies inside being tended to by both humans and ponies, and also watching as buildings were slowly being rebuilt with the aid of the newly formed work teams Pierre had organized, as he saw the Frenchmen himself helping hold a beam in place while a unicorn hammered it into place. He also saw Maximillian as he was currently standing beside a white board inside a damaged building as several ponies in worker uniforms watched and listened to him speak as he explained the diagrams on the board. Looks like things were going swimmingly as the British would put it.
As the jeep pulled into the town hall courtyard, Krieger could only snicker to himself as he watched the town guard standing guard outside, no longer in their gaudy golden armor, but instead wearing the prideful grey Wehrmacht uniform and wearing the Stahlhelm upon their head, except for the bare-headed unicorns who Krieger didn't account for their horns not fitting with the helmets, as they saluted while holding their spears. Turns out Franz couldn't train them how to use rifles in just under an hour, but at least he got the uniforms on them. Surprisingly though, he saw that the guards were actually comfortable in their new uniforms, as one mare talked to the stallion next to them.
"I dunno about you, but these uniforms are kinda nice."
"Yeah, not as heavy as that armor, and also kinda snug." Krieger couldn't help but smile, dismounting as he saluted and walked inside the Town Hall to see two men in brown suits and grey caps greet him, as they spoke in Dutch with their distinctive accent, and thankfully Krieger knew Dutch.
"Greetings meneer Krieger, I am Franklin Visser, and zis is my brother Heinrich Visser. We were born in Belgium but migrated to France when our nations came under German occupation. Of course, we still came under it when France fell, but it wasn't all bad. Now here we are, inside a land of magical ponies and unicorns, quite nice."
"Indeed, it is quite nice. Now then, do you mind telling me why you have come to see me?"
"Oh right, of course. You see, we understand that this town has fallen on hard times, and seeing as me and my brother graduated from Rotterdamn Universities economic class, and as such, we believe we would be able to chip in to the community by employing our economic knowledge to restore this town's economy, if you so wish."
"I see this as an absolute win then, my friends! Welcome aboard!" He shook the hands of both brothers, before they saluted and left the building, as meanwhile Krieger walked up into his office and sat down for a bit, turning around in his seat to look out the window as the sun slowly set.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here after all...
"MANGE!"
"Y-yes boss?"
"Why hasn't our raiding party come back yet?"
"I dunno."
"Why don't you?
"Well, it takes time for parties to come back boss, maybe they got hung up?"
"Fair enough, but just in case, send out the scout brothers, their good at their jobs."
At the start of it, he was running his tool shop on a slow buisness day, then he was hiding away with his family from the Caribou raid, and then he watched as strange creatures similar to ponies ride in on metal chariots into the town, along with those he had seen captured by the raiders. Then, he was approached by one of the uniformed creatures, which he learned was called a human, and was asked if he wished to help with rebuilding the town using his tools and expertise. Obviously, seeing as he had the tools, he obliged before grabbing said tools and setting to work. Not like he had anypony coming to his shop anyway.
Now he was cheerfully humming a happy tune along with his pony workmates as they helped hold a beam in place for one of the human workers currently hammering it in. The human was one of the volunteer workers, and he believed that his name was Marco, though his strange prench-like language made it hard to determine, though he did also speak pony language surprisingly well, so it was easy for Crafty and his pals to work with them.
"I am almost done up here with ze hammering, my copains!"
"That's good to hear, but what the heck does 'copains' mean?"
"It means 'friends' in French!"
"You mean Prench?"
"Sacre bleu, non, is called French!" Marco said with a hint of exhaustion said before hammering in the final nail as he climbed down the ladder and smiled at his work, blowing a little kiss at the construction. "That is ze final nail, the support structure for zis building is now parfait!"
"That's good to hear Marco, that Pierre feller oughta be pleased." Speak of Tirek, here he came, walking over with a smile on his face and a clipboard and pen in hand as he politefully nodded towards the workers.
"And pleased I am indeed. I see you have done well in setting up the new support structures for the town, and by my current time estimates, this town will be fully repaired in about a week at this rate. You have all done very well, and you may go ahead and take a well deserved break while I lay out further plans for construction. We habe much work ahead of us, my friends." He said shaking Crafty's hand before walking off, as Crafty waved goodbye to both his human and pony workmates as they all went back to their homes.
Soon enough, he arrived at his store and saw his wife Nifty Knitter standing in the doorway, as he walked and hugged her deeply as he relaxed when he heard her calm voice. "Have a good day of hard work dear?"
"Yes, I did actually. Feels good to work for the town again, especially now that's needed now more than ever. Those humans certainly know how to work hard." He said as he took off his tool belt and set it on the shop counter before turning to kiss his wife on the cheek. "Love you dear."
"Love you too." As the two smiled warmly at each other, a knock on the door disturbed them, as Crafty walked over to open it and see two of the uniformed soldier standing outside, with one of them holding a clipboard as they breathed in before speaking.
"Greetings mister..." The soldier speaking quickly checked the notes on the clipboard the other soldier was holding before looking back. "Crafty Sprocket, we have come to requisition tools to be utilized in both the reconstruction of the town's housing and infrastructure, as well fortifying the perimeter of the town to defend and deter against hostile retaliation. If you wish, you may decline this request and refuse any form of material requisitioning. If you accept, the tools will be returned once they have been fully utilized, and should they be damaged, you will be entitled to compensation." The soldier said as he read the list on his clipboard.
"Well, I suppose you can have them, seeing as I don't really make many sales anyway. What do you guys need?"
"Oh, we will not be taking any ourselves, we will be notifying a truck to come here and retrieve the tools at noon tomorrow, if that fits into your schedule."
"Sure it does, pleasure doin' buisness with ya." He said as he shook the soldiers hand and they walked down the street. "What a bunch of strange ponies..." He said to himself before closing the shop door and locking it for the day.
Things were changing around town, and quick.
The sound of motor engines, shouting in both English and German, and boots marching through churned mud could be heard, as Krieger walked alongside Sergeant Franz and Fritz, trudging through the muddy terrain of the recently set up military camp, moving out of the way for trucks carrying either troops to their positions, tools to the fortification line, or supplies to stockpiles as Krieger turned to Fritz who was currently holding clipboard with a series of papers, including the Supply Manifest.
"How do our supplies currently look, Franz?"
"Well, not counting the supplies that the locals have graciously granted to us, we have around one months worth of rations, ten crates of ammunition and explosives, around twenty cans of gasoline, and a couple boxes of radios as well as spare parts for our equipment."
"Excellent, though we will likely need to preserve our fuel until we can find any potential sources. When we reach under ten cans, order all of our civilian cars to be siphoned of their fuel."
"Verstanden, Kommandant. We also have begun handing out recruitment flyers to the local population, requesting that they join the currently developing Volksstrum of the town to assist with defense and fortifcation. Already around a dozen or so ponies have signed up, and they are currently undergoing training now." Franz said as he gestured to his right, as Krieger looked to see a large field with both humans and ponies doing training exercises in their uniforms, performing jumping jacks and marching in formation.
Or at least the humans were, the ponies lacked any real type of discipline, and as such were... Clumsy, with one of them tripping over and falling down face first in the mud, as the drill sergeant proceeded to yell in their face before helping them up and coaching them. Krieger believed that inside every man and woman, there was a soldier, and all it took to awaken that soldier was a call to action. And with the threat of the raiders returning on the horizon...
Krieger couldn't help but feel a sense of power, sitting in the swivel chair within his office on the third floor of the town hall, as he looked down upon the town and watched both his men patrolling through the streets and interact with the locals, as well as human civilians continue to work on repairs and moving rubble out of the road, even as the sun had almost gone down beyond the horizon and the moon slowly began to climb into the sky as it's rays of lunar light shined down upon the land. The streets were relatively well lit thanks to lanterns, but there were still some dark spots here and there.
Luckily, his own office had a light, and thankfully that light allowed him to see the paperwork he was currently working on, as he turned in his chair and clicked his pen before tending to said papers. It wasn't much different from the papers he had handled at Grangeville, patrol logs, inventory checks, and logistics updates. Though there were some new papers, like medical reports and filled out requisition forms for tools and equipment. Surprisingly, even though he had utilized voluntary requisition methods, the forms still showed every single box with a check mark in it, indicating the willingness of the signer to donate equipment, complete with their signature on the side of the mark.
Krieger was honestly surprised by the willingness of the ponies to work with his forces, but considering how they had worked with Pierre's construction workers earlier that day, he felt like he should've expected this. None the less, it was good to see cooperation from the locals already, and this helped to raise his spirits, before hearing a knocking on his door, as he spoke out in English to the source of the knocking.
"You may come in." Krieger said, before watching as his assistant Misty Light stuck her head through the door with a sheepish smile, which he returned. "Greetings mein freund, I assume you have news?"
"Well, yes sir, I just wanted to inform that I had that bed you wanted moved into the second floor lounge so you could sleep where your commanders knew where to find you."
"That is good to hear, anything else?"
"Well, I was just wondering if I could potentially go ahead and take the night off, to go home and watch my dad."
"Of course, you are relieved of your duties. Have a good night, Misty Light."
"You too, sir." She said before closing the door while Krieger chuckled to himself. He could get used to living in an alien world.
Fredrick would never get used to living in this alien world.
As he walked through the streets with his standard issue MP40 in hand alongside two of his fellow soldiers, he was constantly receiving friendly waves and hellos from the ponies walking past, when back in France he received jeers and hateful glares. Was it the fact that they had saved the ponies from the Caribou? Was it that they were naturally friendly? What could be causing it?
His thoughts were interrupted, as he felt a sudden impulse come over him, and his mouth forcefully stretched open and he emitted a deep yawn, blinking his eyes to try and fight off his fatigue, before receiving a concerned look from the man to his right.
"Fredrick, you should go ahead and get some rest. The camp doesn't have enough beds, so maybe you can try your luck at requesting a place to stay from the locals."
"Ja, I will do, thank you Frank."
"Nein problem." His fellow Germans waved goodbye as Fredrick walked up to a friendly looking house and proceeded to knock three times on the door, before seeing a small foal open the door and gasp.
"Mommy mommy, it's a soldier man!" The little foal yelled out, before a brown maned mare came into view wearing an apron as she gasped before speaking with a slight southern accent.
"U-ummm... Greetings mister, can I help you?" Fredrick nervously shifted before nodding.
"Ja, I was wondering if I could possibly requisition a place to sleep in this home? We do not have any place to sleep back at camp." Suddenly, the worried look on her face vanished as she smiled.
"Why of course mister Fredrick, me and Apple Sauce would be happy to have you. You can leave that little gadget and helmet of yours by the door." Fredrick nodded before unclipping and removing his helmet, hanging it on a coat rack while laying his rifle against the wall next to it as the mare lead him to the kitchen.
"May I ask your name, madame?"
"Oh, it's Apple Cider, and that's my son, apple sauce." She said while giggling as the foal stared up at the soldier with an astonished expression.
"Your face is weird mister." Fredrick slightly chuckled before kneeling down and ruffling the foal's mane as he and Cider giggled.
"Now now, don't go getting him riled up now, it's almost his bed time."
"But mom!"
"I recommend you listen to your mother, mister." Fredrick said in a somewhat stern voice, as the foal saluted.
"Sir yes sir!" The foal said before running up the stairs as Fredrick couldn't help but laugh as he stood up.
"He'd make a fine royal guardsman, wouldn't he?" Cider said, as Fredrick nodded.
"The Wehrmacht would love to have him as a member of the youth corp." Fredrick said before taking a seat as Cider proceeded to open a fridge.
"What do you want for dinner, sir?"
"Eh, I ate my ration an hour, I will be fine."
"You certain?"
"Ja, I will be fine. Believe it or not, but those rations do a good job of feeding us soldats."
"Alright then, if you say go. But you're getting a first class breakfast tomorrow morning!"
"Understood, madame. Though I would like something to drink." Fredrick said as Cider proceeded to pull out what appeared to be a bottle as she set it down on the table.
"Well, good thing I got my finest bottle of apple juice right here if ya want some." Fredrick nodded, opening the bottle and taking a sip.
"Das ist very gut. Finest juice I have ever drank." Apple Cider lightly giggled as she smiled, proud to see someone enjoying her juice.
"Yeah, it's an old apple family recipe, everypony knows it, even Sauce will learn it eventually."
"I see. Well, I believe it is time I get some sleep for tomorrow's patrol." Fredrick said as he sat up and entered the living room, taking off his boots and laying back on the couch.
"Alright then, good night mister Fredrick!" Cider said as she turned off the ceiling light and went upstairs while Fredrick closed his eyes.
The chirping of crickets and hooting of owls cried out in unison with the slow crackling of the fire, it's ashes slowly lifted into the air from the updraft created by the burning of wood helped to bring some light to the quite dark environment. The moon and stars above generated enough to where you could see your own hands, but not much else. So thus is why the fire burns, along with providing, as cold winds and frigid chills filled the night, chilling the men huddled around the fire.
Private Gunter of the Heer looked to his comrades, seeing Corporal Paul lighting a cigar using the flames of the fire before he proceeded to lightly smoke it, breathing in the fumes before puffing them out and sighing in relief. Meanwhile Private Max was busy adding more wood to the fire, lightly blowing on the flames to try and make them grow so he could gain more warmth and heat from the fire to counteract the frigid breeze blowing over their campsite.
Being stationed on Night Watch was something Gunter did not really mind, as he had made sure to get plenty of sleep when he was told about his posting. They had begun their shift about half an hour ago, and after it reached midnight, the second night shift team would come to take their place, allowing Gunter and his partners to get some well needed sleep. But for now, they were stuck here sitting in the field to the north of Germaney, their camp only a few meters away from the northern road into the town, allowing them to keep watch on anyone attempt to use it.
Deciding to try and pass the time, Gunter asked his partners a question in German.
"So, what do you think of us winding up in possibly a whole other world? I think it's better than being in France honestly." Gunter asked, as Corporal Paul looked up from smoking his cigar, withdrawing it from his mouth as he spoke with a slight sneer.
"Honestly, I believe that our camp was hit by an allied bombing run or strafed by fighters, and we are all in purgatory paying for our sins." Paul said, his tone being one of despair and sorrow. Gunter visibly saddened, as he turned to his fellow private hoping for a more positive response.
"Honestly, I got no clue Gunter. Maybe were here because the stars aligned, maybe a deity saw our predicament and lended us a hand, maybe we were sent here for a reason, maybe to help the ponies, who knows. All I care about, is what we do now. Make sure to quote this, ahem..." Max said with uncertainty in his voice, before clearing his throat and standing up as he spoke dramatically.
"When in a land of magical walking talking pony people, one must look forward to the future ahead of them." Max said, as both Gunter and Paul clapped, with the cynical corporal letting out a light chuckle as the private sat down.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure it goes on your obituary."
"Better than what I said for my graduation quote."
"What was it?"
"Dying is gay." All three of the men suddenly burst out laughing like hyenas, with even Paul snickering while Gunter fell on his back while clutching his gut. After a few seconds of laughing, their chuckles faltered and they slowly regained their composure, still lightly giggling to themselves. "Oh... That was good laughter, I needed that... Phew." Max said while Gunter straightened his back.
"Ja, das was gut."
As the three men continued to lounge around the campfire, a light noise could be heard on the dirt road behind them, as they turned to hear what sounded like foot steps slowly approaching. All three of the men quickly reached for their weapons, gripping them as they rose to their feet, as Gunter made sure to load his MP-40 before nervously aiming down it's sights as Paul signaled for them to stay silent and let the unknown figure approach.
Soon enough, a male Earth pony came into the light of the campfire, it's amber glow illuminating the ponies rough clothing and chaffed bare feet. The men quickly lowered their weapons, as Paul spoke in English.
"Halt! What is your business?"
The pony stopped in his tracks, nervously eyeing the uniformed men with both awe and fear...
Before turning and running. The three men looked at each other confused, before deciding to act on instinct, giving chase as Paul continued to shout.
"HALT! CEASE YOUR RUNNING OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!" Paul said, before he saw Max managing to out pace, before the private threw his weapon to the side and tackled the pony, an easy task considering the ponies lacking strength, which allowed the soldier to hold him in place as his partners caught up. "You have a lot of explaining to do to the Kommandant, pony..."
Krieger was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, riding inside the front passenger seat of his jeep while he looked to check his watch and seeing it was about 10 o' clock. It was in the middle of the night for pete sake! But, as an officer of the Wehrmacht, one must always be vigilant and ready at a moment's notice. Though that didn't seem to be the case for those defending the beaches of France...
The Jeep soon came to a step, as Krieger nodded to the soldier driving before opening his door and stepping out within the military camp for his forces, and judging by the crudely painted sign with the symbol of a lock on it, this was likely the designated tent for holding prisoners, which is a good thing they had one, or else they would have had to commander a building within town. As he looked at the two tent guards, they saluted before helping to hold open the tent flap, as they followed Krieger inside and watched him take a seat within a metal chair.
Sitting across from Krieger would be the pony that Corporal Paul had reported to him about, currently handcuffed to their chair. Torn up clothing similar to that of something a peasant might wear, bruised and scarred skin, and a very skinny torso. Just by first looks alone Krieger could tell this was no soldier or warrior, but an unfortunate local of the area. Though, the fact they decided to run away did raise a red flag or two, plus there was the potential that this pony may be a spy or sleeper cell, so it was best to try and get some answers, as Krieger spoke in a formal tone.
"Greetings, mister..."
The pony did not even reply with a simple name, letting his head hang low.
"Mein freund, you do not need to be afraid, we are not going to hurt you. You can at least tell me who you are."
"... A-autumn Chill, mister..."
"Ah, see? We are getting somewhere! There is no need to be hostile. Guards, remove his binds please." Krieger gestured as one of the soldiers behind him nodded, moving behind Autumn and unlocking the handcuffs, stowing them as the pony rubbed his wrists. "Now then, may I ask why you ran away from our night watch guards?"
"I... I was afraid. I have never seen your kind before, you uh... What are you called?"
"You may call us humans, and your fears are understandable. Now then, may I ask why you may have come to Germaney? And I ask you to be truthful now..."
"I... I..." Tears began to visibly well up in his eyes, before audibly sighing and speaking clearly, with sadness audible in his voice. "I was sent here to figure out what happened to the raiding party..."
"By who?"
"I had no choice... The boss said I had to work with him, or else he'd.. He'd..."
"He'd what, Autumn, he'd what?"
"He and his caribou would execute my parents... My mom, my dad, and my little sis... Now I'm here and... I can't just go back with nothing..." Krieger slowly nodded, now being confronted by the news, and given a choice.
Let the pony return to his boss empty handed, protecting the town and it's people, but putting the lives of Autumn and his family in danger...
Let Autumn return with information about Germaney , putting the town at risk but sparing him...
Or, potentially feeding him false information, which would not completely stop the Caribou but rather slow them down, while Autumn could act as a man on the inside, both relaying information and keeping his family safe.
Making his choice, Krieger nodded and looked Autumn in the eyes, with a slight smile on his face.
The distinct sound of a shovel pushing it's way into the earth was heard, digging into the ground, twisting and turning as it uprooted the dirt, holding it on the shovel before being lifted out and thrown over the shoulder of the one using the tool, currently feeling fatigued as he took a deep breath. The early morning cool temperatures helped to combat the sweat forming on the soldier's brow, but his hands still felt sore from grasping the metal handle and wooden shaft of the shovel. Even after a full hour of shoveling, he still wasn't used to it, as he turned to see several other soldiers, as well as a few civilians, both human and pony, shoveling beside him.
Taking a deep breath, Obersoldat Sherman returned to shoveling, pressing his foot on the shovel head and sinking it into the dirt. Soon, he lifted the shovel back over his shoulder and sent the dirt it carried with it back out of the small trench and onto the grass. As he dug his shovel into the ground, he could the sound of grunting and struggiling to his right, as he turned to see a pony struggiling with pushing the shovel into the dirt.
"Come on, go in!" She said as she pushed down on the handle. The pony mare was wearing a wehrmacht uniform complete with a stalhelm on her head, as Sherman decided to help and walked over.
"Here komarade, let me help you with that. First, you place your foot upon the shovel head, and press push it down, then you lift it back up, toss the dirt, then repeat." Sherman said as he went through the motions with her."
"Oh, thanks. Sorry, just never done this kind of work before. What are we even digging, anyways? Some sort of long hole?"
"A defensive trenchline is what kommandant Krieger said, one of three. He believes we may come under attack from raiding parties and wishes for us to have effective defensive positions constructed s we may endure an enemy assault. While I am certain that we could fight them off with our rifles alone, it does not hurt to be prepared."
"Thank you sir! Oh, and uh sir, what's your name?"
"First off, you do not need to call me sir all the time, just call me Sherman. And you are?"
"You can call me Muddy Flower."
"Good to know. Now then, best get back to shovelling, we must keep with the schedule."
"Sir yes sir- I mean, you got it Sherman!" Muddy Flower then gripped her shovel and dug it into the ground, resuming her work.
'Hmph. These ponies certainly commit themselves to their work... A good quality.' Sherman thought to himself before he turned back to the ground and continued shovelling.
Scoop up, throw back, scoop up, throw back, a never ending cycle.
However, when the voice of Unteroffizier Fritz yelled out in German, Sherman quickly dropped his shovel and saluted, gesturing for the pony to do the same as she quickly dropped the shovel and did her best salute towards the officer who was accompanied by two soldiers holding MP-40s as he cleared his throat before speaking.
"Attention everyone, Kommandant Krieger has ordered us to have at least one line of fortification fully constructed and staffed with troops by the end of the week, so ensure that we are keeping with the schedule and maintaining efficiency. However, due to our current lack of equipment and manpower, we have had to borrow tools and workers from the populace, whom we are thankful for. So remember, treat both your co-workers and tools with care, do not overwork yourself, but above all else, stay on schedule! Now then, do not let me keep you from your work."
As the Officer walked off, Sherman went ahead and did as he was told. Just keep shovelling.
Sherman hoped they had something better to use as rations unlike that meal slop they usually put in it.
Colonel Krieger slowly walked along the streets of Germaneia, feeling happy to look up into the sky and not see a single aircraft, Luftwaffe or Allied, in sight. No flak bursts, no whistiling of bombs falling from the sky, no smog or fire reaching to the heavens, just a calm and serene blue sky. A very rare sight in Europe, especially over the small town of Grangeville deep within the french countride until the Allies began Operation Overlord, as they were calling the invasion of France according to the Abwehr, or at least so they said. Knowing Hitler, the truth was far more complicated, or possibly completely different. Regardless, Krieger could still remember the sound of the bombs falling from the sky onto the cities of France and Germany, especially during the Battle of Britain and their retaliation for the first bombs dropped on London.
Looking back down to see where he was walking, he looked around the town to see both humans and ponies walking the streets, though they seemed to pay a mindful distance to each other. The occasional Wehrmacht soldier passed by, saluting Krieger before moving on as the ponies simply looked on in silence. It seemed as though the ponies seemed unsure of what to think about the arrival of his military and civilian forces within Germaneia, and even though he had helped save them from the Caribou, they still seemed to fear him. Krieger wished that soon enough that fear would soon dissipate, and the people would not think of it as an occupation similar to what he commanded in Grangeville.
He just hoped that protecting these people and fighting alongside them would earn their favor. Perhaps it would even redeem himself and his soldiers, and hopefully they could simply put the past behind them, and look to the future. However, Krieger had noticed that some of his soldiers performed the Nazi salute instead of the regular salute, likely due to being loyal to the NSDAP rather than Germany itself. A worrying sight, but hopefully nothing bad would come of it. He did however inform his fellow officers, who he knew for sure were loyal solely to Germania, to keep an eye on any devoted National Socialists. It was likely that the need may soon arise for Krieger and the Wehrmacht to organize Germaney and any of it's neighoring towns into a nation state to ensure it's people are protected.
Krieger than thought back to last night and his meeting with the pony spy dispatched by the Caribou, Autumn Chill. Krieger remembered watching as the pony ran off back towards the camp of his superiors, disappearing into the night. Hopefully the disinformation would help delay any potential assault, and possibly even grant an oppurtunity to liberate any ponies held prisoner by the Caribou with a raid on their camp once a proper defence was consolidated.
But as Krieger and the men walking beside him finally reached the outer area of the town, looking out to see the many workers and soldiers toiling away at the digging of the trench line surrounded the town, Krieger knew that right now all they could do was prepare for the enemy to strike first, and once the enemy was driven back, they would go on the offensive.
However, due to low supplies and insufficient manpower, they would have to emulate the German strategy during the war against France in 1940, using quick mobile troops, superior firepower, and shattering enemy defenses. And while they may not have much armor, artillery or aircraft to support them, the new Blitzkrieg would see Germaney protected, and the bandit and slaver hordes shattered by the might of the Wehrmacht. Krieger then turned to see a few pony soldiers doing training with their rifles, fumbiling with them as one stallion accidentally shot a bullet into the air before being yelled at by a drill sergeant, with the sergeant then taking the rifle and demonstrating how to properly fire it. The sight alone confirmed Kriger's worries of his new pony recruits being ill-equipped and trained to serve effectively.
"We may need some more time to properly prepare... Let us hope Autumn Chill pulls through."
The flaps to the large tent were opened by two tall guards wielding spears as Autumn Chill slowly stepped forward, before being struck in the back by the blunt end of a spear and sent falling to his knees as he looked up to see a Caribou sitting upon a throne, currently eating a bowl of grapes.
"Ah, your sorry ass finally made it back, took your sweet time too. Now then, what happened to my boys? They go traitor on me?"
"Well... They said they wanted to set up shop in the town for a while, turn it into a new camp. They said they will have slaves ready for you to collect at the end of the week."
"I see... Very smart of them for once. I will send you back to noftify them before I come to collect. Now, go back to your quarters, you and your family earned yourself some actual food tonight."
"T-thank you boss." Autumn Chill said before leaving the tent. As he made sure he was out of sight he ducked behind a tree and pulled out a small radio, activating it as he spoke into it. "They bought the story, mister Krieger."
"Excellent, phase one of operation Weißes Schwert has commenced. Keep your family safe, we will be in touch."
The air had a light scent of gasoline as the smog-like exhaust of an Magirus A3000 cargo truck as it slowly drove along the stone roads of the town, it's wheels lightly bumping along the uneven stones and the crates loaded in the back lightly jostled and bounced. The two soldiers driving in the front were busy listening and humming along to the song playing on the radio, the melody polluting the air and flowing through the open windows. Everyone heard the music as the truck passed by, leaving ponies confused by the German lyrics and some soldiers letting out a short hum in tune.
"Aut der heide bluht ein kleines blumelein, und das heisst, Erika!"
Sergeant Klaus simply shook his head as the truck passed by, carrying crates full of supplies out to the field around the town where they would be used to build fortifications. He turned back to oversee the new pony recruits, still in the process of wearing out their newly issued Wehrmacht uniforms as they performed push-ups. He could see some of them were straining while others were excelling, with the more physically toned likely being builders or farm workers before enlisting. The stronger ones would do excellently with assisting in transporting heavier ordinance or equipment like machine guns and mortars, as well as fighting on the frontlines. The weak ones could help with logistics, operating radios, or maybe with proper training, drivers for the few armored cars they had at their disposal.
Still, the recruits had taken to the training and exercises like a fish to water after the first two days, their enthusiasm and willingness to fight helping to push them forward. Klaus admired their will and determination, knowing that when a solider loves whats behind him, he shall fight with great honor and efficiency. Or, judging by some of the recruits, she shall fight well. Klaus was surprised to see the women or 'mares' of the village willingly signing up for service, but considering what happened to them, they did not seem to mind fighting for their families, another quality Klaus admired about the people here.
Regardless, Klaus turned his attention to one of the recruits struggling to do even a single push up, a young stallion. "Private Bright Cloud, care to explain why have you not done even a single push-up?"
The Stallion saluted while on the ground before speaking in a strained tone as he tried to push himself up. "Sorry sir- I mean, Kommandant- I mean, Sergeant-"
"You may refer to me as Sergeant."
"S-sorry Sergeant, it's just that I've neveeeeeer..." He very nearly got himself all the way up, before collapsing to the ground. "Done any exercise. I just own a library, I like selling books."
"Hmmmm... Do you like reading as well?"
"Uh, yes Sergeant."
"Hmmm... Stand up, I may have a new task for you." The stallion nodded as he stood up and saluted. "Currently our troops constructing the trenches are in need of help managing where the supplies are being focused and diverted to. You may go and assist in supply coordination as well as operating the radio and helping with mechanical maintenance."
"Ummm, I know what a radio is, Sergeant, but I've never really used one."
"Consider this a learning experience, now move and report to the trench line, you are wasting daylight soldier!"
"Sir yes sir!" The Stallion saluted before waving down a passing truck of supplies, asking to hop in the back as the driver nodded, letting Bright Cloud clamber over the tailgate and inside with a groan of effort. The truck's engine then started back up as it continued along the road. Klaus then turned back to see a couple ponies were watching on and not doing their exercises.
"He was an exception due to his skills being usable in a vital role, you will not be given the same opportunity, so do not slack! Even if you will not be fighting on the front lines, you must be fit! He will gain fitness in his mind, you must have fitness in your body! So come on, twenty more sit ups!"
The groans made Klaus grin. These ponies had it easy compared to his drill instructor. His biceps ached from the thought of it.
"Los! Los! Get the machine guns set up, without them we lack any form of suppression!" Krieger yelled out, carrying two ammo tins in his hands as he walked through the trenches and up onto a wooden machine gun nest as a pony and a human set a MG-42 into position, securing it to a bipod on the sandbags which lined the narrow firing slit. He set down the tins on the ground. "Make sure the barrel is clean and properly maintained, we do not wish for it to jam on us!"
"Yes Kommandant." The two soldiers said as they set to inspecting the machine gun while Krieger exited the nest and walked back into the trenches, making sure to carefully avoid stepping on the fingers of a pony carpenter currently installing wooden stairs leading into the underground medical area marked with a red cross. Saluting him Krieger kept moving, passing by soldiers carrying ammunition, sandbags, and tools as some were still digging at the walls or installing wooden support beams in dug out underground sections as they set up beds and supply cabinets.
Motors were heard as a half-track drove over a wooden bridge stretching over the trench, as it came to a stop and several troops exited out the back, carrying large stake drivers and hole punchers for constructing the metal tank traps and barb wire lining the outer perimeter.
Stepping up onto a lookout bench he saw the mine team was working quickly, the entire team being human experts in explosives to avoid any accidental detonations as they set the discs into place, arming them and placing some dirt over them. One soldier dug out a hole and slot in a sign reading 'Warning! Mines!' in both German and English. Or was it 'Ponish' as the locals called it? Semantics.
Regardless, the minefield would ensure that if the enemy approached from anywhere other than the main road, they wouldn't get far. And even if they passed by the minefields, they wouldn't survive the machine guns and rifles firing from the trenches. Continuing his walk through the trenches he saw a pony clutching his hand as he hissed, which prompted Krieger to walk up and inspect the hand. It was throbbing and quite red, and considering there was a hammer dropped on the ground next to the pony, he could guess he hit his own hand.
"I am guessing you accidentally struck your own hand?"
"Well uhhh... Yeah, never used a hammer before, I just really wanted to help out. I don't know how to fight, and I already donated all I could, so I thought I'd try and help out like this." Krieger smiled at the young ponies words, saluting him.
"You my friend, are an upstanding citizen. However, I believe I have a better task for you. We can easily finish the fortifications on our own, those within the town need more hands to help them rebuild and construct additional housing for my people."
"Okay sir... But, I uh, don't speak prench, and the construction manager, he's uh, well, prench. Or, as you say it, 'french'. That's a weird word." Krieger let out a light snort.
"Come now my friend, Pierre may seem strange due to his accent and language, but I assure you he is a fine man who you will have a fine time working with. Now quickly, we are on a deadline!"
"Y-yes sir, for Germaney!" The young stallion said, standing up and saluting before clambering out of the trenches and rushed back towards town. Krieger looked down to see he left his hammer behind, shaking his head before grabbing the hammer and resuming the stallions work of nailing the wooden trench walls. Not like he had much else to do. However, as he finished hammering the nails, he overheard a conversation between two ponies setting up sandbags.
"So what do you think happened to the other towns? Surely we weren't the only ones raided."
"Dunno, Brussia definitely survived, they've got their own guard regiment, but I'm not sure about Hayberg."
"Yeah, and Whineland was probably the first to fall, let's be honest."
Ignoring the similarities between the mentioned names of these towns and cities from his world, a trend that was becoming common, he wondered about the fate of these nearby towns, and knew something would need be done about it. Germaney could not stand on it's own forever, and so once he finished nailing things into place he clambered out of the trench and towards his camp. It's about time some proper reconnaissance of the area was conducted.
