Going in clueless hadn’t been an idea; she did find out a few things first. That the Westbuchtr had imposed a blockade through their air and sea zones, for one. That made it impossible at present for the Reich to do anything to help Reinhold, but she wasn’t beholden to anybody but herself, and if she couldn’t outfly some punk westerners, then she didn’t deserve Reinhold anyways. Maybe she didn’t know where he was…but she could do things to draw his attention. To make him find her, and thus get to him that way. He had always rushed to her aid when she was in trouble, why would he act any differently now?

It wasn’t much of a plan, and what she did have was damn stupid, but what else could she do? Dolcherr was dead, but that meant it was all in the past and nothing could be done about it anyways. Linda had dreams, hopes for the future; a white dress, a ring, four children, a circle of friends to grow old with that, as the years had gone by, had shrunk more and more…if she did nothing, then it was certain that it would all get crumpled up and thrown into a fire. Reinhold didn’t like her yet- maybe he would in a year or few, maybe he wouldn’t like her the way she wanted him to ever, which would be sad, but as long as he was alive, so was the dream.

And Linda would do anything to snatch away that fleeting hope from the encroaching flame.

She threw the tarp off of a dull red monoplane that she knew inside and out. She worked on it so much that her hands were often discolored from the grease and oil; so she wore gloves whenever out. Technically it wasn’t ready yet, but the old reliable wasn’t close by, and didn’t have the range for the job anyways. No, the Sunset Chaser was made to one day fly around the world, in defiance of the Grand Maelstroms. And it could carry two. Maybe three if it got cramped, but all she really needed was for it to take one more person than her. That wasn’t to say it couldn’t race; Linda was rather proud to say that this piece of machinery put a lot of fighter planes to shame. The engineer her father found to design it had been really talented, though to be fair, the Sunset Chaser couldn’t have been flown by many people. Linda had dealt with many a temperamental design that wasn’t quite done, though; her father had volunteered her for test flights of army prototypes, after all. Dozens of close calls and problems were partly, in her opinion, what made her so good anyways.

It was good that Linda had garnered the respect to fly whenever she wanted. It meant the airfield crew didn’t ask questions. She never needed to say why she was taking a plane out, especially not the Chaser. So in no time, it was taxiing down the runway, then rising into the sky. Eventually somebody would tell her father where she’d gone, eventually he’d figure out, and probably freak, but he couldn’t stop her now. Nobody could. A map, a bearing, and something of a plan; she’d figure the rest out as she went along. She managed to pry from one of Reinhold’s fellow captains that he would probably be near the shore, and that they had dropped near Santi Arrofini…which meant he’d probably be at least somewhere near or in the area of Reichsport. If he wasn’t…well, she tried. Linda was alright with anything happening besides lying back and letting fate steal her future without a fight.

…It’d get pretty chilly if she went high, Linda thought idly as she ascended. Instead of proper flight pants to block the chill of altitude, she was wearing a short skirt and pull up stockings; it was in vogue, and Dolcherr had been saying that it would definitely catch Reinhold’s eye, should he look. She’d worn short skirts around him before, but the stockings were supposedly the game changer. She’d received flattering compliments when she had the top half of her work coverall tied around her waist and a tank top that exposed her arms, when it got hot while she was working on one plane or another, but Reinhold didn’t like hanging out with her in private ever since...that happened.

Focus, Linda, she thought as she breathed out steadily. Don’t get caught daydreaming if Westbuchtr decides you’re trying to run their no fly zone.

-----

You are Captain Reinhold Roth-Vogel, and in spite of being an armor officer of the Imperial Luftwaffe, you were laying low in an abandoned inn in the woods. Well, sort of abandoned, save for your second in command, crews, Fallschirmjäger support, intelligence agent Owl 3 (Winnifred Von Löwenkreuz, in less formal occasion), the Prince and Princess of Halmeggia Alexander and Edelina Von Halm-Auric, and a group of travelers you’d found squatting there…well, it was getting pretty heavily populated now, but you had still managed to hide away from the eyes of the various parties of Halmeggia’s civil war, both enemies and those who you were disguised as and thus “allied” with.

From your hiding place, you had been watching and waiting, skulking while fronts consolidated and the factions in the civil war postured at one another after the explosive first moments of the war. In spite of your notable part in said moments, your time of activity was over, and would hopefully stay that way. You had a pair of Luftpanzers ready in case things got dicey, but if you were to join the war anew, that would do little more than place your charges at risk.

No, for now, you were ideally hiding out, laying low, until a Reichsmarine warship sailed up to the coast and broadcast for you to come down to the shore so you could be rescued. When that would happen was unknown; it had already been a couple days, and you had been told it would only happen once the protectorate of Westbuchtr ceased being obstructive and opened its air and sea blockade. Were it that you could wait outside their border and cross over by land…but your superiors understandably had no trust for them to not just nab you there and send the Royals packing back into Halmeggia whence they came.

So you waited, rested. Besides the tension, there were no shells coming down nor fighters harassing you; it was practically a vacation in that respect. Nobody was short of sleep, starving, though conservation of water meant that the lack of baths was going to cause the men to reach ultimate filthiness in due time, unless a risky expedition was made for the purposes of hygiene.

It was such that the most exciting event of the past couple of days was something entirely unwarlike when you had been flirting with Winnifred, and she’d challenged you to take her to bed. So you met her upstairs in the inn and had sex. That…was a thing. You didn’t know, there was something that made it feel different from the usual one night stand; maybe it was the caliber of woman you were dealing with. You had no complaints about her, but…she didn’t feel like the sort of woman it was right to just toss out after you were through. So you had gone to hang out with her the morning after as she did her dull work of monitoring radio transmissions using one of the Luftpanzers’ sets, with you occupying the position she often had on the edge of the turret hatch, bothering her as you chatted. She had just accused you, presumably in jest, of avoiding both enemy and ally alike to loiter about and flirt with her.

Perhaps you were guilty of such.

“Oof,” you smirked, continuing to trace your fingers around the lines of Winnifred’s neck, “I’ll admit that you’re much more pleasant company. I wouldn’t jump in the sack with any Revolutionaries that I know. Though really, it’s not so bad that we’re just sitting around.” You had had a thought about making a small journey to the city of Reichsport to gather some information, since your only current source was stray radio transmissions and propaganda and independent reporting; Winnifred had said a basic newspaper would be enlightening, however, it didn’t seem worth it to potentially break your cover just yet. “Just means that we’re doing our work in laying low well. The longer we do nothing and goof off, the more time the Kaiser has to send us help, right?”

Winnifred sighed with ever so slight exasperation. “As long as you are not blinded at a critical time.”

“Mm,” you hummed thoughtfully, and slid your hands down her chest as you slouched to lean over Winnifred, “You are rather distracting without trying.” Suddenly you felt like a dope. “…Are you distracted right now?”

Winnifred thought for a second. “…Somewhat.”

“Clearly I have to up my efforts, then.”

“Captain.” Winnifred said, sounding tired, “Just because you slept with me does not mean that you have to treat me like your spouse.”

“I just don’t want you to feel used.”

“Reinhold, please.” You noted Winnifred addressing you by your name rather than your rank; whether this was good or bad was unclear. “If anything, I used you.”

“Feel free to do so again.”

“Hah.”

“…Guess I ought to check on things, though.” You got ready to disengage yourself from the edge of the turret door, but Winnifred raised a hand to catch you.

“Wait. If you are needed, your men will retrieve you, yes?” She let you go and pointed to her shoulder, not taking her eyes off the radio console. “My neck and shoulders are still stiff. It is impeding my concentration.”

“Well,” you shuffled back, “We can’t have that, can we? Let me help you out.” You laid your hands on Winnifred again.

“…Reinhold.” She said flatly, “That is neither my neck nor my shoulders.”

“I’m working my way up.”

-----

”Rot-1 to Schwarm-2, orders passed down from above. The red aircraft is considered to be a Zeissenberg purposeful infiltration. Take care of it, Rot-2. If it refuses to be escorted to base, then shoot it down.

”Roger that. Katch-2, take the left side, I’ll take the right. If they evade then Rot-1’s in position to pursue.”

…

”Rot-2 to Rot-1, I recognize this craft’s markings. It’s a private plane. Wait- ah, shit.”

”I’m pursuing. Katch-1, keep on my tail. If they’re evading, then this is no stray cat that got lost.”

…

”…Rot-1 to Rot-2, Where the hell did that plane go?”

”Below and behind you, Rot-1. It just pulled a wingover harder than anything I’ve ever seen. It’d break one of ours.”

”Don’t underestimate that pilot any more. Rot-2, start your attack immediately, we’ll move out of the way.”

”Roger. Katch-2, keep your distance in case they do anything funny…uh, crap.”

”What’s the problem, Rot-2.”

”I’m having to dive, but that plane’s still outpacing mine. They’re gonna leave me behind.”

”Damn it all. Rot-1 to Schwarm-2, continue pursuit until we lose visual. I’ll pass down a message through Squadron to try and trap them. They’ll have to turn somewhere, and we’ll be there waiting. Even if it turns inside our turns and is faster, it can still be boxed in. Don’t give up just yet.

-----

>Encounter Roll: 1, 3, 4 –Revolutionaries, Small Party, Reserved
>Rolled 3 – Revolutionary Armor

>As a large party has encamped nearby, a small party will, unless driven to take another action, will link up with and unite with the encamped party. A larger encampment will spread out more; the camp’s current size is 3, a small party is size 1 and a large is 2. If the camp reaches size 6, it will be very likely that your presence will be directly discovered by the large group.

“There’s been a development in the situation, sir.” Schneider told you. It was a while after Winnifred was either was satisfied with her masseuse or sick of being poked at and had kicked you out of your tank; the sun was beginning to set on your third day in Halmeggia. Or had it been two? “Another tank came up from the south. We let them be, as usual, but when I sent out a scouting party, they reported back that it went and joined up with the group to the north. So that’s a revolutionary infantry platoon and a tank; looked like a Leichterpanzer 24H, the scouts said. Not that tough for a Luftpanzer platoon, but I’m sure they’d hold up pretty well against most AUSC units.”

“And they’re probably not going to just move on if they’re that strong, are they,” you finished for Schneider.

“Almost certainly not. Rather, their radius will probably expand, and they’ll probably come here…and wonder if we’d like to join.”

“Well, we’ll cross that bridge should we come to it, maybe try and keep it from happening somehow.” You shifted your weight, “You’re doing good work, Sergeant. Has dinner been called yet? If not, call it. We’re not on starvation rations yet, but we’ve still gotten no word of when we’re getting out of here.”

“Roger.”

Of course, laying low meant the obvious; that while time was passing, there wasn’t much to do. Not necessarily a bad thing, but…ideally, you would prefer to be doing something other than just waiting.

>The evening is young and the night will be long.
>Interact or speak with somebody? (Who, and about what?)
>Make a request of an ally or assign a mission to one of your soldiers?
>Some other interaction, plan, the like?

>Also, roll 3 sets of 3d3. Things are heating back up; there's less a chance of nothing happening.

>Past Threads Archive Pastebin (Luftpanzer is at the top): https://pastebin.com/UagT0hnh
>twitter is @scheissfunker for updates and announcements.

Jinxing myself by saying this should be the end thread.

Rolled 2, 2, 2 = 6 (3d3)

>>3260142
>>Some other interaction, plan, the like?
Have we scouted our escape routes, set up delaying positions and if our radios are secured, could we get an eye out on those revs incase they being moving our way?

Cant remember if I called it in past threads or if I was just thinking it, but I just knew Linda would fly by...

>>3260196
We definitely need an escape plan and a procedure to secure the VIP. Maybe we should scout for our next hideout? Either the forest or Reichsport?

Maybe we could speak with the princess? Either about the book or her potential implication in the fall of the castle?

I was also wondering about dying our VIP's hairs. Do we have coffee? Black tea ? Beet ? Carrot ?

Rolled 3, 2, 3 = 8 (3d3)

>>3260142
>>3260196
Supporting planning escape routes, maybe ask the remaining Natives in the inn to tell us about the area, anything unusual?

Rolled 1, 3, 3 = 7 (3d3)

>>3260196
>>3260142
Supporting scouting alternate hideout locations and escape routes in case that Rev camp gets too big.

>Interact or speak with somebody? (Who, and about what?)
Should we bite the bullet and talk to the princess about the circumstances of her family's death or just stay out of it? I guess that's more of a question to my fellow players.

>>3260763
I honestly don't know. It might be good for her growth, but I doubt she's much of a threat anymore so it may only make things complicated.

Think she made a deal / was coerced into opening the way. They appealed to her idealism or she sought to act as mediator between them and her father. Regardless, she fucked up and they all got killed. And she escaped of course due to WIZARD BULLSHIT.

Hey, long time no see in here. Could someone fire me the pastebin for this so I can catch up please?

Wait no, disregard last, I just noticed the link.

I'll get to work once I get shit done with the drive. Shoveling the snow and breaking the ice and all that.

>>3260196
>if our radios are secured

You haven't been transmitting anything anyways! You're solely on passive and receiving; there's no reason to do anything else, really.

>>3260547
>I was also wondering about dying our VIP's hairs. Do we have coffee? Black tea ? Beet ? Carrot ?

You do not. However, it probably wouldn't be very difficult to find such things if you ranged out a bit. One would think the inn would have had coffee or tea, but it seems its previous occupants either fled with that or an earlier party took all the foodstuffs they could find.

Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d3)

>>3262441
Oh, and something I keep forgetting to do.

>>3262441
I ended up buying a snow blower this year with the amount of snow we ended up getting.

Did we take any explosives from the supply cache? Maybe we could improvise stuff up. I dont trust our room mates to not talk. We told them we were revolutionaries, so theres no reason for them to not say were over here. Especially since there's a decently sized camp forming up nearby.

Seconding scouting out a new hideout, preferably somewhere deeper in the woods.

>>3262624
Not much snow actually comes down here; it's actually pretty dry in the winters, relatively, so the snow tends to not be all that dense. That said, what I had to go and take care of was hard pack, which means attacking it with an ice breaker thing. Satisfying but tiring.

>Did we take any explosives from the supply cache? Maybe we could improvise stuff up.

Presumably you mean like demolitions and not like grenades and such. Technically the answer is yes; the Luftpanzers carry scuttling charges that, while meant to destroy the tank in the event of having to abandon it with no hope of recovery, are perfectly able to be repurposed for any sort of explosive work.

“Here’s what I want you to do, Sergeant,” you told Schneider as you thought up precautionary actions, “If the Revolutionaries are starting to gather nearby, we might need a way to get out in a hurry. I want a few people to scout an escape route, have our acquaintances show us the tunnels they talked about. We’ve got some time to map a few out, but I want it started right away; especially since night’s coming and there’ll be less moving about from the normal folks.”

“Yes, sir.” Schneider nodded, “…An escape route to where..?”

“Another hiding place, ideally,” you said, “Some place where we’ll be left alone, though I’d like to have several options if possible. We haven’t been found out so far; let the Fallschirmjäger roam. If we do get trouble here the crews and Luftpanzers should be able to take care of it.”

“Of course, sir.” Schneider saluted, “…though we should continue to keep an eye on the perimeter, yes?”

“Yeah.” You coughed, “Naturally. All this’ll be pointless if we don’t see something like, say, a whole Aristocratic Union armor company barreling towards us ‘til they’re running this place over. Oh, yeah, and while they’re out…if they can get any coffee or tea or anything that stains good perchance, have them get it back here. I’ve been thinking of turning our redheads into brunettes.”

“…Will that work?” Schneider asked.

“May as well try.”

-----

When the night had fallen, Isos and his huge, mute companion had returned, the latter carrying a pair of flat crates over his shoulders; they looked like boxes for ammunition, but these travelers had been completely unarmed; what would they need munitions for? No, there was something else in there. Did you care?...Not particularly, outside of simple curiosity, though that in and of itself was compelling.

“What’s in the boxes?” you asked Isos brightly as his big companion set them down on the floor of the inn; you had been thinking by the fireplace, though Schneider had night command, technically, you figured you should give him a bit more time off this evening. As much as you would have liked to turn sleeping with Winnifred into a passionate nightly ritual, now that that bridge had been crossed, it seemed a bit too luxuriant for your current situation to actually plan around that. Or maybe, you could. It was admittedly a tempting subject. She had seemed awfully focused on something; when you asked about it, she said there was snippets of news about Reichsport and its alignment, but not enough to conclude on, yet. For all that she was focused, though, her eyes seemed rather heavy…

In any case, the boxes.

“Stuff.” Chirped Isos, to your question. How terribly specific.

“…what kind of stuff?” you pressed, though you didn’t need to. It was just conversation. “Can I see?” you took a step towards the crate, but Isos’s big companion tensed up and his gaze snapped towards you threateningly. “…Right,” you shrugged, “None of my business, fair enough.”

“With this, maybe leaving soon.” Isos said, “Ha ha, maybe good for you?”

“I was thinking I could get your help with something, actually,” you proposed, “Maybe ask Alkes about it. I’d like him to have some of you guys show my men the tunnels you go through.”

“Yes, yes,” Isos nodded, “The Twins can help.”

“…So which two are the twins?” you asked out of more curiosity.

“Which two? Three are twins.”

“No, three would be triplets,” you said steadily. “Alkes said twins.”

“They are twins. Twins with one, then another is twins with another, and another with another.” Isos said this all as if it were supposed to be apparent.

It wasn’t, so you simply sighed and accepted it. “Alright, I understand. Kind of.”

“Will talk to Alkes about thing you say.”

“Thank you,” you shrugged, “…When are you planning on going?”

“Maybe next day. Maybe day after.”

“I see.”

“Sleep now.” You expected Isos to go to a room, but he instead lined himself against a corner and simply laid down. Okay.

In the meantime, you considered...another matter.

Princess Edelina and Prince Alexander had not strayed far from their rooms, save to use the bathroom (for such a rustic inn, it had surprisingly civilized conveniences). You hadn’t spoken much with either of them, save for checking on their status; largely out of focus for other matters. However, in your idle thinking…you had happened upon a chain of thought that made you uncomfortable. You had the feeling that it was a similar train that Alexander had been thinking on, but he didn’t know as much as you did; when he shared his knowledge with you, you had ironically ended up with a more complete seeming picture than he did.

You had a good feeling Edelina knew more about the circumstances of her family’s murder than she let on. Alexander had noted that the only way through the secret passage was by a Von Halm-Auric’s hand; and it sure as hell didn’t seem like he had done it, which…honestly only left one possibility. Edelina wouldn’t have done it out of spite or lust for power, though…perhaps she had thought letting the Revolutionaries in would result in mercy for her family, or maybe for a quick end to the conflict and as much a bloodless revolution as one could hope for. Maybe she was coerced into doing it.

Much of you wanted to ask. Yet, did it have any purpose? She hadn’t admitted it yet, if she had. Perhaps there was no need to needlessly pressure her.

>Go up and ask her directly about your concerns; you had to know.
>Did it matter what she did, if she was responsible? It was all in the past now. Best not to dig it up and thrust it in her face.
>You could be subtle about this. Go to Edelina and ask her leading questions about this; you’d get an answer that way. (What questions?)
>Other?
Also
>Bother Winnifred about messing around again tonight?

>>326312
>Edelina
Be subtle. I don't know how but she must be devastated. Maybe by asking her more details about the siege itself?
Or maybe ask about the Grimoire?
>Winnifred
It would be better to offer her some sleep. In our company if it feel better.

>>3263121
>>Did it matter what she did, if she was responsible? It was all in the past now. Best not to dig it up and thrust it in her face.

>>3263121
>>You could be subtle about this. Go to Edelina and ask her leading questions about this; you’d get an answer that way. (What questions?)

Anything for more screen time with breast girl.
I mean best girl.

Start by asking about the Grimoire and where it was hidden all this time, lead into hidden places and secret passages about the Castle and how lucky she was to escape capture. She's already tripped up once on her alibi, hopefully we can slip her up again.

>Bother Winnifred about messing around again tonight?
No she seems tired for ~some~ reason, although comment to her about it.

>>3263121
A bit torn. Bringing it up is just going to cause pain, but at the same time it's probably eating her up inside with no outlet. (Assuming we are correct).

>You could be subtle about this. Go to Edelina and ask her leading questions about this; you’d get an answer that way. (What questions?)

I'll second >>3263517

Also I want to point out that we should do this far away from Alexander. Take her outside the inn.

>Bother Winnifred about messing around again tonight?
I'd say bring up the option in teasing Reinhold fashion, but ultimately if she looks like she needs some rest (like it seems she does) she should get some. With Reinhold if she wants.

>>3263662
Supporting

Alive now. Time for writing.

>>3263284
Leave the princess alone

>>3263272
>>3263517
>>3263662
>>3264031
Sutbly try and draw out the answers to the questions of what went wrong.

Also offer to snuggle with the incredibly dangerous intelligence agent. The peril makes it more enticing.

Writing.

I am incredibly deceased apparently.

I dunno, yesterday I just died, I guess. I'll have the update out now, though.

…No, you had to at least talk to the princess about this, at least. Not in a direct fashion; but in a way where she wouldn’t have to answer what she didn’t want to.
After saluting the guard at the entrance to the room, you pushed in the door to Edelina’s room; then thought better of it, let it close, and knocked instead.

“Come in.” you heard the princess’s light voice call you inside.

Admitting yourself in, you saw Edelina sitting cross legged on the bed; dark circles had appeared under her eyes over the past couple of days, but unlike Winnifred’s, they were new, and obviously foreign to her complexion. “Just checking on you again. Are you holding up good?”

“I suppose that I am.” Edelina said dimly, shifting her weight to one side and leaning over a bit. “…I have had more time to properly give thought to…what I have lost. There are pleasantries and luxuries that, while unpleasant to lose, I never truly needed. If that was all, I would likely not still be upset. Yet what I lost was no just the servants, the silks, the status, even the throne, I would have gladly sacrificed were it to mean that my family would still be with us.” Her brow twitched, her mouth opened and closed without a sound, before tightening into a firm crease. “…It has been a struggle to maintain composure, as these times demand.”

“There’s plenty of people around to help out,” you said, “Your health is mission critical, you know? That includes your health up here.” You rapped on your head, “I’ve been having my Sergeant do a lot of my work because that’s his privilege as a non-commissioned officer, but I can reassign him. If you need people to talk to I’m sure he’d volunteer.”

Edelina smiled. “That would be pleasant. No, your men have been kind and considerate, but I would rather not…impose.”

“It’s difficult for a woman such as you to not impose,” you laughed and coughed, “Even if you weren’t a princess, I mean.”

Edelina blinked twice, and cocked her head slowly, tilting it far over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“Your highness, please. Ever look in a mirror?”

“Ah. I suppose that I see what you mean.”

“It’s hard not to.”

“Yes.” Edelina pulled on the top of her sweater lightly, not looking very pleased with how and where it was creasing. “Anyways. You came in earlier than usual. Was there something more you wanted to ask about?”

“There was.” You tried not to shift too much into seriousness, because this matter was indeed going to turn that way. “I wanted to ask about the book.”

“Be careful,” Edelina leaned forward and made her voice quiet, “Do not speak too openly of it with the men of the mountains near.”

“Why not?” though you lowered your voice as well.

Edelina frowned, and her eyes darted side to side, as though she were trapped. “…I am sorry, but that line of inquiry will simply lead to question after question that I cannot answer, under any circumstances. You must understand.”

“Alright.” You let it go, “Actually, you highness? Come with me, outside. You’re right, prying ears are a concern…especially considering what may come up.”

-----

Into the woods the both of you went, a good fifty paces away from the inn. Nobody would hear you, but at the same time, you were within reach of help, should any unaccounted for night assailants appear.

“The book, then.” You led off, “Nothing actually about it, maybe whatever stories Prince Alexander heard? Mostly though, I want to know how it was hidden, where, and how you got to it considering all that’s been going on.”

Edelina’s mouth twisted into a deep frown. “That is not something that you may know. I am sorry. All that I can say is that only a member of my family could have retrieved it.”

“Surely it was hidden then, at least,” you went on, “Maybe in some secret tunnel, or such?”

“Yes, it would be there..?” Edelina looked no less uncomfortable than before.

“You were rather lucky to have escaped,” you pointed out carefully, “I can’t actually think of how you could have gotten out without a secret passage or something like that. Alexander was talking about one, and how it must have been blocked off, or infiltrated…”

“Captain.” Edelina muttered, “There is no further need to be indirect. I can tell what your suspicions are.” She squatted down, sat back, and hugged her knees, curled into a ball. You followed her down, instinctively. “…I may have made terrible mistakes, but I am not so much a fool to not know when I am found out, and not one who would try and conceal the truth knowing that I am suspected. But!” She looked up with a pleading gasp, “I never intended that anybody would be hurt! I am not so naïve that I would expect there to be no blood shed whatsoever, but if I cooperated, I thought that some mercy would be shown to my family, and that the position of the Revolutionaries would be strong enough that none would resist. It would not be a good thing, but at least the country would be spared, and my family…yet…” Edelina buried her face once more in her knees, “I had not considered that we would simple be…not even allowed to exist. They would have taken me too, to think…but in retrieving the Grimoire, it was necessary that I be alone…for all of Alexander’s faults, I suppose, he did not slay his own family.”

You said nothing. Not that you hadn’t suspected this since the information Alexander had shared with you, but nothing you could say would help at the moment. She had caved near instantly; Alexander had said before that Edelina was terrible at lying, but it had not taken much pressure to break this out of her; or maybe it was because the two of you were alone.

“…If I am telling this,” Edelina’s voice shook, “Then it is only right that you know the extent of my failures. I have affronted you and your men, Captain. I heard that your…your first entrance into Halmeggia…was interfered with.”

“…Huh?”

“I met with them once more,” Edelina sounded utterly defeated, “After we were told of the Kaiser’s intent to rescue us. I told them…and they asked where you planned to land. They said that…they would communicate with the Reich, and through revealing they knew the plans, prevent the mission from ever taking place. Nobody would be hurt, they said…and if I did not say, then there could be complications with my family…yet you are here.” Edelina did not look up, and only squeezed tighter into herself. “No apology I can make would be sufficient. Not to my family, nor to your people, who came to my rescue. I have lost any right to object to any punishment at all. My only request…is that the Grimoire never falls into the hands of any who could know what it is. That it be buried and forgotten. Anything further, I have no right at all to not be at peace with.”

You had to take a good minute to silently put all that together, while Edelina remained curled into herself, silent, presumably awaiting your wrath. Yet, you weren’t sure what to feel for some time…

>You heard nothing, you knew nothing. Take Edelina back, and tell her to never speak any of what she told you to anybody.
>Forgive her; Dolcherr died to save her life, no matter the unintended circumstances.
>Punish her; to let this go unrecognized would be to insult the dead.
>Other?

>>3267840
>>You heard nothing, you knew nothing. Take Edelina back, and tell her to never speak any of what she told you to anybody.
On the one hand, she was being a naive idiot and kind of got Dolcherr killed. On the other, she has to live with the guilt of what she did to her family for the rest of her life, so I'd say it evens out.

>>3267840
>Other?
>Tell her about Dolcherr and how he died, let her know that it was ultimately her kindness that killed him.
I really dont see Reinhold forgiving her for that, not for a good long while at least

>>3267840
>You heard nothing, you knew nothing. Take Edelina back, and tell her to never speak any of what she told you to anybody.
>Other?
You know that thing we talked about? You tempering your kindness with realistic expectations and experience? For your sake I hope you learn that."

Alrighty.

>>3267843
>>3268221
>>3268427

There's a lot to say, but really, there's nothing that needs to be remembered, nor spited; only pointed to.

Writing now.

>>3267840
NO BEST WAIFU WHY,
I thought it was the Colonels daughter this whole time, why date why have you wrecked the one that has huge tracts of land.

I'm too late but I would have chosen the neutral option as well. Reinhold would never forgive her for this, just as he won't forgive himself.

“…You know,” you said with the intonation of a stone, “There was a man called Douran Dolcherr, Staff Sergeant. He was my best friend. We stuck through everything together; we weren’t always around each other, but when we were, there was nothing we couldn’t do, and it was all ‘cause of him. Honestly, I don’t think he was cut out for war; he was good in a scrap, but he preferred talking to fighting. I guess he joined up with me to try and keep me out of trouble. He was the sort of guy who’d take one on the chin for you, talked to you even when you were being a pain in the ass, nothing but an endless wellspring of patience and understanding.”

Edelina remained still, her face pressed into her knees, shoulders slouched. So you continued.

“When we came over to drop in here, our plane got hit. Broke in half, tossed everybody all over the place. Dolcherr got hurt real badly in that. I ran into him later, but he had been captured, and while we were fighting the Revolutionaries, trying to get him out, he was fatally wounded. We didn’t know what the hell was happening. All this had been done to take the Revolutionaries by surprise, we’d just drop in, get in, get out…not a hitch. I’d have been willing to bet everything that I owned that Dolcherr, if that drop had gone right, wouldn’t have gotten a scratch on him. If he hadn’t been killed, I bet my other friend who came here, Roland Bartholomeu, wouldn’t have been so out of whack. He got hurt bad. Not dead yet, thankfully.”

You rose back up to your feet, looking down on the Princess, and sighed raggedly. “…So, yeah. You know that thing we talked about? Tempering your kindness with realistic expectations and experience? For your sake, Judge Above, I hope this was a really educational experience.”

“Anything.” Edelina said thinly into her legs, “I’ll do anything to make up for it. I am prepared for the worst. Any manner of vengeance wrought upon me would be deserved.”

“Nah.” You said shortly, “That won’t help anybody. Listen. I didn’t hear you admit to anything. I don’t know anything about what happened. We’ll go back. Never, ever tell anybody else what you told me. Got it?”

“But,” Edelina looked up; her glasses had been disheveled, and her golden eyes were beginning to brim with tears, “I…What you said…surely, I should be-“

“What you did was pretty stupid,” you turned your back on her and shoved your hands in your pockets, “But…look. You’re nice. You didn’t think it would happen this way. The guilt of it…I can’t think of anything more than that that you’d actually deserve. So that’s all.” You started walking. “Now come on back. After this war’s done, Halmeggia’s going to need a good Queen with her head on her shoulders to pull all this back together.”

-----

“Hey.” You said to Winnifred from below, outside the tank, after you had re-escorted Edelina to her room, and come outside again. She shuffled around inside, and leaned out, tired but curious as to why you were calling her. “Wanted to say, you did a bang up job on my leg. It’s been a couple days and it’s already a lot better.”

“…Mm.” Winnifred nodded, “…I was afraid the stitches might have come loose…earlier.”

“That would have been embarrassing,” you chuckled, “Anyways. You’re looking awfully tired up there, honey. Do you want to go to bed with me? You could use the rest.”

“Captain.” Winnifred said drowsily, “I appreciate the concern, but I am perfectly fine. That I am exhausted is inconsequential. The men tonight will all be quite hard worked, and I see no reason for me to have an exception from said hard work. Especially, no offense, if the exception was made for…pleasure.”

“How about if it was just for rest, then?” you said, “I was messing with you, anyways. If anything, it would just be…I dunno. Cuddling, if you like.”

That prompted a rare noise from Winnifred; a choked, held back bark of laughter. “Reinhold.” She said lightly, “I appreciate it. I know that my history is unpleasant, but I hardly need affection for it. I am perfectly able to continue my observation of communications. That is not to say, though, that…I would not find your company enjoyable.”

>Well, what if I needed it? I’m suddenly down in the dumps, and I’d like to share some mutually enjoyable company.
>I’m going to pull rank on you. If you’re exhausted, you’re not at peak efficiency, right? I order you to rest. I’ll take your place listening in for you.
>Alright then, that’s fine. Was just asking; I’ll be setting to sleep anyways, soon, so, see you in the morning.
>Other?

>>3268847
>Well, what if I needed it? I’m suddenly down in the dumps, and I’d like to share some mutually enjoyable company.
>Other?
"One of the men can take over for you for the night. Write down everything he hears so you can look it over later. Being exhausted is no good for anyone."

>>3268847
>>Well, what if I needed it? I’m suddenly down in the dumps, and I’d like to share some mutually enjoyable company.

>>3268847
>>Alright then, that’s fine. Was just asking; I’ll be setting to sleep anyways, soon, so, see you in the morning.

>>3268847
>>Well, what if I needed it? I’m suddenly down in the dumps, and I’d like to share some mutually enjoyable company.

No pillow talk though, that secret goes with us to the grave just with the book, we're going to be buried in it.

>>3268861
>>3269525
Supporting

Forty years later

>>3269083
Fine, be that way.

>>3268861
>>3268963
>>3269525
It's snuggle time

Writing

>>3271206
And by writing I mean it'll be out soon.

“Well,” you shrugged, “What if I needed it? I’m suddenly down in the dumps, and I’d like to share some mutually enjoyable company. For your part, one of the men can take over for you for the night, and he can just write down everything so you can look over it later. Exhaustion’s no good for anybody, right?”

Winnifred’s eyes were heavy, and she tilted some as she thought about it. “…Very well. Both of our benefit, then.”

“Great. Hey, you!” you called to one of the Luftpanzer crewmen who was looking over the other tank, “Come over here and listen to the radio, here. If you hear anything that you even think might be interesting, then you write it down, got it?” As the crewman sighed roughly and got up to do your assigned task, Winnifred hefted herself out of the Luftpanzer and onto the ground, and gave you an expectant look to lead the way.

-----

As soon as the door closed, Winnifred started taking her shirt off.

“Oh, I thought we were,” you said with some surprise, ”Not going about that?”

Winnifred paused and stared at you mid unbuttoning. “You sleep in your clothes?”

“Well,” you shrugged slowly and defensively, “If I’m not having to prove anything, I usually just sorta…fall in? How much do you take off to go to bed in?”

Winnifred tilted her chin up and half closed her eyes. “How much do you want me to take off?”

“Yes.”

“Hah.” Winnifred finished taking off her shirt, then her shoes and trousers, and then her bra before approaching the bed and lying beside you. She was quite efficient about it; had you been feeling like a smartass you would have told her that she needed to work on her striptease. “This is what is normal. It is not as though, for example, I am sharing a bed with a younger sibling or a child.”

“I suppose we should match, then,” you disrobed to an equivalent level. “So,” you threw the covers over both of you and wrapped your arm around Winnifred’s middle, fingers pressing into her cool skin, “I know you’re tired and all, but, anything on your mind?”

“Business.” Winnifred said airily, “The future, perhaps.” A hand alighted on your manhood. “Wolfe should be quite satisfied with you, I think.”

“Hmm,” you absentmindedly began to stroke Winnifred’s black, wavy hair. “I dunno how I feel about my current date talking about my next one. I know you said the whole never see you again thing, but…you wouldn’t want to keep this going?”

“Reinhold, I would not call this dating so much as a fling,” she looped her arms around your neck and kissed you on the cheek, “I am not the sort of woman to make long term plans about. It is flattering of you to consider otherwise, but such is the choice that has been made for me by history.”

“Must suck, huh.”

“How so?”

“Well,” you rubbed your hand up and down Winnifred’s lower back, “Don’t you want to get married, have kids, that sort of thing?”

“Do you?”

“Eventually, sure. When…I dunno. But someday.”

“Well then,” Winnifred pulled herself next to your ear, “How do you know that I’m not married? Or that I do not have children?” she purred playfully.

“Uh-“

“I am joking,” she laughed slightly, lowering herself so that she was face to face with you once more. “I would be a poor wife, and a worse mother. Perhaps I have considered it, just to spite my fate, so that even if Löwenkreuz was no longer noble, it would not have been rendered extinct, but, alas.” She curled in closer, “So. You said that you were feeling depressed. About what?”

“Eh.” You frowned, “I’d rather not say. Hard to feel depressed when I have a topless girl next to me anyways.”

“Very well.” Winnifred pushed her head into the crook of your neck and let out a long sigh. “I have my secrets, you may have yours. Good night, Reinhold.”

-----

”Schwarm 2 to Staffel, new information on the target. We’re breaking off pursuit.”

”Staffel to Schwarm 2, say again. You said you were breaking the pursuit?”

”One of the Rotte leaders recognized the plane and pilot. It’s Falkenstein.”

”You are certain?...Very well then. I’ll report it to the Squadron.”

…

”Colonel Stoffholm, you had best explain quickly why you had you Squadron break pursuit with the target.”

”If you think that I’m going to order my men to shoot down Gold Vengeance’s daughter, then you’re stark raving mad. Even if they did it, then the girl’s father would bring the whole of Zeissenberg’s Luftwaffe to rip our skies to pieces, and half of our own Luftwaffe would happily join forces with him in doing so. Who knows where she’s going, but there sure as hell won’t be any interference from the like of me, nor any other squadrons.”

”This isn’t over, Colonel. If you won’t do it, then we’ll find somebody who will.”

-----

You were roughly awoken by gunfire; not closeby, but closer than it had been in the past.

“Hey,” you nudged Winnifred, who was stirring just as you were, “Stay inside.” Within the minute, you had pulled all your clothes and your boots back on, and went out the door to smack right into Sergeant Schneider.

“Captain.” Schneider stiffly saluted after he teetered back and forth from colliding with you.

“What’s going on, Sergeant,” you gestured for him to follow you downstairs, “Are any of our people near that?”

>Encounter Roll: 2, 2, 2, 2 –AUSC, Raid Party, Energetic, Regulars

“No, sir.” Schneider said, “Though we saw them moving about earlier. Aristocratic Union soldiers. The ones who are dressed in proper gear. Armed for bear, too. They were looking for trouble and they’ve probably found it.”

The automatic cannon of the Lpz-24 sounded off next, and with it, a new exchange of gunfire.

“Might want to tell the guys to hunker down,” you advised Schneider, “I remember the AUSC having plenty of artillery, and I dunno how much of that they kept down south, but I don’t want to find out and get caught with our pants down either.”

“Or caught in bed with the intelligence officer.” Schneider said dully.

“Har har.”

>Keep down; the Revolutionaries are probably strong enough that they can handle this.
>Go help the Revolutionaries- it was better for them to be around than AUSC
>Go out and observe; you didn’t intend to get involved, but you had to see how this went.
>Other?

>>3271240
>>Go out and observe; you didn’t intend to get involved, but you had to see how this went.

We need some forewarning if it goes bad for the Revs. Can we ask one of the sneakier Mountain folk to come with? It is in their interest after all, especially if AUSC wins we can't stop them by ourselves.

Tell everyone to hunker down but get ready to vamoose if we give the word.

>>3271240
>>Go out and observe; you didn’t intend to get involved, but you had to see how this went.

>>3271240
>>Go out and observe; you didn’t intend to get involved, but you had to see how this went.

>>3271240
>>Go out and observe; you didn’t intend to get involved, but you had to see how this went.

Just so we dont get blindsided when the RAGV routs in our direction.

Game done now.

>>3271276
>>3271317
>>3271529
>>3271799

Go out and watch the fun; also take one of the vagrants, for...area knowledge, I suppose. It's their business too either way.

Writing now.

Rolled 64, 100, 97, 36 = 297 (4d100)

“Send an observation party out,” you told Schneider, “We want to know how this goes. I’ll grab one of our guests to help out, too.”

“Er, alright, but,” Schneider struggled to walk beside instead of behind you as you walked down the stairs of the inn, “How much help could they really be?”

“They’re backup. They’re here, they’ll help.” You said matter of factly. Alkes, their leader, was chewing on jerky or something in the common room entrance. He was immediately addressed. “You. I want to borrow one of your people; the one called Isos. Is that alright?”

“Isos?” Alkes smiled at you, “Why him? And what for?”

“You hear all that gunfire? We want to check on that and have a heads up in case anything comes over here. Your man went out for a couple days and night and came back; you can’t tell me he doesn’t have some experience not getting caught. He certainly can’t talk his way out of such things.”

“Harsh.” Alkes’ smile broadened. “But Isos does not go anywhere without the big man. Is that acceptable?”

You threw up your hands. “Sure. Why not. Go with the Sergeant and get them, now, we don’t have time to waste debating this.” You pulled Alkes up by his arm and pointed out, though you left the inn before either of them. If this day was starting off with a bang, best get caught up with everything as early as possible.

Schneider worked quickly, you observed as you approached the Luftpanzers; he had grabbed the nearest two Fallschirmjager and was furtively gesturing north; it wouldn’t be long before you had a good clue for the situation.

“Hey,” you knocked on the Luftpanzer, and waited for a weary eyed crewman to peek out. He was probably hoping for some relief from the assignment you’d given him to listen in on the radio; a vain hope. “Start the engines on these rigs, get the crews ready to go if we need it. We might have trouble, and we’ll need to move quick if that’s the case.” You didn’t stick around to listen to the full extend of the crewman’s defeated groan; you had to spread the word, and get ready to pick up and go.

>Combat for AUSC raid vs RAGV camp: the Raid is executing a raid strike giving it a better first round, and has an integrity of 5, while the RAGV camp has an integrity of 9, RAGV gets an attack bonus of -10 due to presence of armor. Degrees of success difference in tens is how much more damage one side inflicts upon the other, with a limit according to integrity measure. Lower being better. Two rolls for, first two is AUSC, latter two are RAGV. First round is a raid round, so RAGV roll is halved.

>>3272040
>First round is a raid round, so RAGV roll is halved.

Meant AUSC roll; it'd be a bit odd otherwise.

> 5-1 AUSC favor, 6-1 RAGV favor (Minuses due to integrity in each round)

When the scouting party returned, the relief on their faces spoke volumes. Though, you certainly were going to hear immediately the nature of said relief.

“Report,” you said as you strode up to the two troopers, as well as their mountain folk companions; though, you sent the latter on their way before hearing the troopers’ piece.

“Yeah, we saw a lot…though mostly the tail end of it, but that said enough, really.” The patrol head eagerly told you, “The AUSC guys got the drop on them; saw a whole lot of wounded and plenty of damage, but they must not have realized how big the nest they kicked was, even though they really messed up the RAGV in their initial attack. We got close enough to watch just in time to see the AUSC sent running with their tails between their legs; well, for who was left. The Revs made a counterattack that just shattered them. We didn’t stay to make sure, but I’m willing to bet that whole Raid Party was as good as wiped out. They won’t be reporting anything back soon, that’s for sure, and not with precision. I’d say we’re still safe, and the RAGVies got really knocked for a loop.”

>Casualties inflicted in the battle have affected the Camp’s size- its size has been reduced from 3 to 2. The AUSC group was effectively eliminated; they are not lingering in the area in any concentration to be a continued concern…for now.

“Awful nice of the RAGV to do our fighting for us and keep anybody from bothering us,” you mused, “Anybody heading back this way?”

“Nope. Either northbound or not at all.”

“Good.” You nodded, “Go and tell everybody they can calm down, then. We were getting ready to move and quick if things went differently.” You were well familiar with the damage even a smaller party could inflict if they struck in the right time and place; however, this time, the AUSC had been unlucky. The RAGV group had been too well composed, too strong, and the opening attack powerful yet not enough to shatter the larger group, so the Aristocratic Union’s raid had been swept away in the counterattack.

Of course, if the AUSC was making attacks, that meant there would be more in the future. Hopefully, what would come next was more posturing and skirmishes, rather than an escalation of what had just happened.

>Encounter Roll: 3, 2, 3 –Nothing of Note, N/A, N/A

Midday came and went; while the RAGV to your north were presumably licking their wounds, you were offered more rest and relaxation, or what passed for it in Halmeggia. When you asked Alkes if his group’s stay would be ending soon, given that Isos and his large friend had returned with the crate of presumably what they had come for, Alkes merely hummed, and said that he wasn’t sure. Evidently, there may or may not have been more; though he promised not to impede upon your operations, and expressed his gratitude for continuing to shelter them.

Of course, no report had come in concerning your extraction. The post for listening in on that particular frequency for the beautiful news of the Reichsmarine waiting off the shore to pick you up was a popular one; every man wanted to be the first to break the news, but there had been naught but silence. The spot was still one eagerly accepted, but you wondered how many days of silence it would take for the place to be one of resignation rather than anticipation.

Winnifred had gotten dressed again and resumed her own place in one of the Luftpanzers, after having the previous trooper pass his notes. As things calmed down, you could properly inquire about what she had heard.

“It is a radio station broadcasting from Reichsport that I am listening to,” Winnifred explained, “They have been speaking a great deal about the opinions of the community’s leaders; particularly, on the subject of joining with the Revolution. It would be quite a boon for the RAGV, of course; though, it seems likely that whether they throw their bet onto the table will depend on how strong an ally the southern RAGV contingent shows themselves to be. Like any independents, they ill wish to join the losing side.”

“I’d bet not,” you agreed, “So say they do, though. What does that mean for us?”

“Currently? Little, as we are disguised as the RAGV.” Winnifred said. “An unexpected surge in the quantity of allies; extreme confusion as they integrate themselves into the Vitelian command structure. An ideal time for us to do so as well, should the time come and we have not by then. If we had fled straight to the city and not disguised ourselves, we would potentially be in a poor situation. However, such is not the case.” Winnifred stretched out her arms and sighed a creaky breath, “Ah. If we wished to play power games, we could also pay the city a visit. The RAGV has apparently been in too chaotic a state to send an envoy as of recent. Fortunate for them that Reichsport would approach them, if they were to make up their minds.”

“A city bed would be more comfy to screw in,” you smirked and pointed a finger out; Winnifred rolled her eyes. “Though. We’d have to hide the prince and princess away from more prying eyes.”

“The Revolutionaries’ position would also be strengthened against our rescuers,” Winnifred said, “Although I doubt that the Revolutionaries here would be able to resist the will of the Reichsmarine, the city has vessels that may prove a problem. The Halmeggian Coastal Fleet is mostly made up of torpedo boats and a few corvettes, but those can be enough to present a problem, if they wished to.”

>It sounds like we ought to do something, then. We’ll go be the most recent envoys from the RAGV; maybe get some more luxurious bunks, too.
>We’re safe enough here, and it seems best from what you said for us to remain, and continue to be uninvolved. The Reichsmarine won’t have an issue either way.
>I’d rather not the RAGV get any more advantages; they’re just the right amount of weak, and they don’t need to be a pain in the ass at sea. Maybe we could antagonize Reichsport using our assumed identities to make their relationship with the Revolutionaries chillier?
>Other?

>>3272272
>>We’re safe enough here, and it seems best from what you said for us to remain, and continue to be uninvolved. The Reichsmarine won’t have an issue either way.

>>3272272
>We’re safe enough here, and it seems best from what you said for us to remain, and continue to be uninvolved. The Reichsmarine won’t have an issue either way.

>>3272272
>>We’re safe enough here, and it seems best from what you said for us to remain, and continue to be uninvolved. The Reichsmarine won’t have an issue either way.

Unless anyone comes up with a good way to keep the royals defining features out of sight, I don’t see going to Reichsport as a good enough option given the risks.

>>3272371
>>3272730
>>3273021
Staying out in the woods is more romantic than the big city, don't you think?

Writing.

>>3272272
>It sounds like we ought to do something, then. We’ll go be the most recent envoys from the RAGV; maybe get some more luxurious bunks, too.

I was about to go and say let's keep low, but I do not trust the Mossheads anymore, why are they still here?
Wizard bullshit most likely.

Besides, doesn't mean we can't sabotage the Revolution over in Reichsport after initially presenting things as favorable. And if they are already favorable towards them I don't know how much we can do to sabotage it.

“We’re safe enough here,” you decided, “From what you said, it seems best that we remain here, and keep on doing nothing; stay uninvolved from it all. I doubt the Reichsmarine’ll have any issues no matter what goes on. What’re the Revolutionaries going to do if they don’t like a naval task force off the shore? Paint targets on their positions and hope the Reichsmarine pities them too much to open up with the cruisers’ guns?”

“What has worked so far is good enough.” Winnifred put forth, “Perhaps missing some potential for exploitative opportunities, but yes, it is indeed the safest route.”

“Especially since all it takes for everything to go tits up is for somebody to see that a couple of our people’ve got golden eyes,” you added, “There’s only two people with those in the whole world as far as I know, and we’ve got our hands on both of them. Maybe if it was just us we could slip in and not worry; if the place is called Reichsport our accents won’t sound too out of place, yeah?” Winnifred nodded. “Yeah.” You nodded back, “So maybe if we could disguise them better, but until then…here’s best.”

“That being the case,” Winnifred tilted lazily back into the Luftpanzer, “I will still monitor events. The city flipping to a side or not will be quite definitive in the local front. Indeed, it being separate for as long as possible benefits us with our current plans…I will warn you if I believe the situation will turn for the worse.”

>Encounter Roll: 1, 3, 3, 2 –Revolutionaries, Large Party, Reserved, Regulars

The sun grew low in the sky; near half a week you had now lingered in Halmeggia. So much had happened, yet so much was over several hours, with the rest being…this.
Your patrols had reported that another rough platoon of soldiers, proper Revolutionary troopers and not militia, had moved from the northeast to take up position nearby the other camp; perhaps they had ordered over to form a line, or maybe their limited communications had touched with the north group, and they had come to help after the battle this morning. The quantity of enemies nearby was growing- and you didn’t like that. They hadn’t seemed to have combined entirely; perhaps competitiveness between the commanders of each group, but for all intents and purposes, the two groups had formed a greater whole, and would certainly grow closer together should they be required to, regardless of rivalries in ranks.

>A large party of Regulars has moved near the North Camp. Though they and the current size 2 camp are apart, should hostiles draw near, the two forces will merge into a size 4.

It was remarkable that with so many Revolutionaries this close, nobody had come knocking. You supposed that the greater focus at this point, especially with the earlier attack, was the AUSC coming in from the north. If the Aristocrats could be so kind as to continue attacking just enough to keep the Revolutionaries here relatively lacking in cohesion, then you would appreciate that; they had to know that this general area was where you were, after all. It had been a couple days after all, with them having claimed to have the Royal Family; yet the longer it took for them to produce one of them speaking, the more questions would undoubtedly be asked. From what you’d gotten out of what limited information was blowing about the grapevine, the war situation was just too pressing for the AUSC to make a dedicated search for you in this area. However, by the same token, so long as they claimed to have the Royals, the Revolutionaries wouldn’t look for them in their own ground, either. You could have gone to the Duke Di Vitelstadt and thanked him personally for this convenience; though the circumstances would have to be exactly the same as your last meeting.

The inaction gave you much time to think about such things. Unpleasant things, too; like the ultimate identity of the person who had sold you out to the Revolutionaries. It wasn’t unfair, you thought, to have conjured the fantasy of a sniveling rat, or some corrupt official, somebody with an irresistibly punchable face that you could beat into an unrecognizable mass. An enemy that you could aspire to punish violently, and let them know exactly how badly you had been wounded by their actions.

Yet that wasn’t how it worked out. Instead, it was the princess that it was your duty to protect. Not a terrible or cruel person, but a naïve girl who had only wanted for as few people as possible to be hurt. A girl who felt such intense guilt and regret over it that she did not care what happened to her. That Dolcherr had died because of…because of a silly mistake…it was all just so disappointing. You’d almost rather have never known. Yet this knowledge made so much anger that was being locked up inside melt away, and there was little to replace what had been there.

Planes were flying from the west, as you thought about this, pacing about the grounds, looking to the sky that was being dyed a blazing orange. There had been relatively few planes; a few scouts, that had been noticed and hidden from well before they could spot you, with your vehicles plenty well concealed from above. A couple of times what may have been singular fighter planes flew above on patrol, but such were few and far between. You knew that standard fair was to have two planes, but there were rarely if ever that many.

One of the engines approaching from the west sounded oddly familiar.

You found yourself paralyzed with curiosity, keeping an eye skyward, as the engines drew closer and closer…

Then, just above, a crimson blur rushed above the trees, followed by a dull green one. You could barely follow the sounds with your eyes as the planes drew higher, looping back around. The red plane was familiar, so familiar- it tilted up at an insane angle, climbed at such a sheer angle that it looked as though it sought to touch the stars, pirouetting as though in a dance in the clouds. Its pursuing plane, with red and yellow striped running down its tail, attempted to follow that same movement. It managed, for a bit, but it stalled, lost power, and began to tumble down as the red plane flawlessly recovered, arcing gracefully backwards like a breaching whale before turning sideways and heading south, the throttle of its converted racer engine ripping like the roar of a victorious beast. You noticed a stirring in your loins as the Revolutionary plane tumbled down, and you heard it crunch and explode upon the ground. There was only one pilot in the world that could give you an erection with their flying, and that strange fact combined with you finally getting a good enough look at the plane to recognize it as the Sunset Chaser gave you more than you needed to know who was behind those maneuvers.

“Linda?” you said to the sky, your voice barely making a sound. “…What are you doing here..?”

You were transfixed, rooted to the spot, as you turned to listen to the Sunset Chaser steadily descending, going lower…coming in for a landing somewhere to the south.

You had to get there.

>Take the tanks out; no screwing around, you had to go down there with everything you had, just in case.
>Take a few men down; you couldn’t go alone, but you had to keep your profile down.
>Head out, alone. You couldn’t waste time explaining this to anybody, and you could do this on your own.
>Other?

>>3273183
Do we know if her plane has a radio we could communicate with?

>>3273194
You wouldn't know its frequency.

>>3273196
rip
Does she know naval code? Do we know airforce codes? Open frequency broadcast to switch to another channel?
If only we had a motorcycle or something, we cant keep up with it on foot so we'd have to take the tank or truck. And I'd rather everyone go, instead of splitting up.

>>3273183
>>Take the tanks out; no screwing around, you had to go down there with everything you had, just in case.

>>3273206
>Does she know naval code?
She does. Communicating it to her, on the other hand...you'd need her to not already be on her way down when you flash a mirror at her. In case it wasn't clear to anybody Naval Code is just Morse Code but without anybody named Morse to name it after.

>Do we know airforce codes?
Since Fallschirmjager and by extension the Luftpanzer Battalion are part of the Luftwaffe and not the army, you do.

However, Linda is not part of the air force, so she does not. She has a habit of busting into places she shouldn't but she doesn't really know anything she isn't supposed to.

>Open frequency broadcast to switch to another channel?
You could try it. There's no guarantee that she'd be listening on it, though. Especially if she thought you'd try and tell her not to come for you.

>>3273183
>>Take the tanks out; no screwing around, you had to go down there with everything you had, just in case.

Let's pack it up, Revs are gonna send a patrol this way sooner rather then later. We'll pick her up and move towards Reichsport.

>Other?
Let the greenies know that business is done, and have Owl 3 listen for any chatter about the plane, unlikely but you never know.

>>3273183
>>Take the tanks out; no screwing around, you had to go down there with everything you had, just in case.
As a backup plan if she could get the Royals out we should do so and then just make a beeline for the border. Maybe spend a couple of weeks in some Protectorate prison but at least. everyone's alive and safe.

We could pose as AUSC deserters in Reichsport, any big famous Reich mercenary groups that we could also claim to be deserting from?

>>3273263
>any big famous Reich mercenary groups that we could also claim to be deserting from?

The Reich doesn't really house any mercenary companies let alone ones of note; those are more a thing further east, specifically in Sosaldt and Plisseau. They're also around to the west, but Reinhold doesn't know much about the west. The Aristocrats don't really like people being under companies in any case, as they'd prefer to not have a middleman in between their fighters and the contractor. Less funny ideas about who's in charge, after all.

>>3273183
>>Take the tanks out; no screwing around, you had to go down there with everything you had, just in case.

>>3273183
>Take the tanks out; no screwing around, you had to go down there with everything you had, just in case.

The plane was conspicuous enough, unless we are really lucky and everyone that would care is asleep, subtlety is out the window at this point.

>>3273183
>Take the tanks out; no screwing around, you had to go down there with everything you had, just in case.

Up now.

>>3273206
>>3273260
>>3273262
>>3273412
>>3273903
>>3274665
All in!

Something I am unsure of is if the intent of votes was to uproot everything, as a couple stated. I'll just have a short vote for that option to be sure.

Only one level of response felt appropriate to you.

“Sergeant!” you sought out your second in command, “Sergeant Schneider!” The Sergeant had been snoozing, and snapped up to attention after a groggy moment hunched over on the steps of the inn. “Get the tanks ready to go. We’re taking them out. There’s a plane coming down and I want to be there to meet it.”

“Yes, sir,” Schneider near reflexively began to stumble off, but stopped himself. “Sir, are we leaving this place, or are we going to bring the tanks out and back?”

>We are leaving, yes. To where, I don’t know yet, but we won’t be able to stay here any longer anyways.
>After we head to the landing spot of the plane I’m talking about, we’ll be heading to the city. No more trench digging for us.
>No, we’re coming back here. Even though there’s Revolutionary buildup nearby, this place is still sure to be free of them for the moment.
>Other?

>>3274798
>>We are leaving, yes. To where, I don’t know yet, but we won’t be able to stay here any longer anyways.
I think it was about time we found a more secluded hideout anyway so we might as well head somewhere else once we find her. Hopefully the brat brought with her some new information or ideas about where we could hide rather than just being a burden.

>>3274798
>>We are leaving, yes. To where, I don’t know yet, but we won’t be able to stay here any longer anyways.

>>3274798
>We are leaving, yes. To where, I don’t know yet, but we won’t be able to stay here any longer anyways.

>>3274798
>We are leaving, yes. To where, I don’t know yet, but we won’t be able to stay here any longer anyways.

We out, someone is gonna come this way, and when they don't find the pilot they are gonna search the area for hiding spots.

Drive shoveled.

>>3274851
>>3274867
>>3274890
>>3274983
Where are we going? Away from here.

Aight then, writing.

“We are leaving this place, yes. To where, I don’t know yet, but we won’t be able to stay here any longer anyways. I’m going to tell our guests that our time together is over, and we’ll pick up and leave as soon as possible. We make in the direction of…wherever that plane is landing.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s a friend of mine,” you spilled readily.

“Wing Commander Falkenstein?” Schneider asked, half hopefully, half baffled.

“Close.” You waved him off, “No more chit chat. We had to be away from here a while ago.”

Schneider saluted, and he went off quickly to round up the troops. You would get everybody out of the inn- and say goodbye to the mysterious mountain travelers- happily so. That they were sticking around even after they’d apparently gotten what they came for was creepy as hell. Could they have possibly been looking for…

It didn’t matter. That dusty old thing would end up forgotten in an attic anyways.

“Hey,” you said to Alkes; he was easy to find once you’d gotten familiar with his role and schedule. He always seemed to loiter about the inn, waiting for his companions to come to him. As usual, he sat at a table, practically twiddling his thumbs. “We’re bugging out. If you want to continue our protection deal, there’s some of our people to the north, but we’re leaving. I’d advise you not bother them, though. You’re safe enough here, and nobody’ll come to ask you to do anything as long as you sit tight.”

“Oh?” Alkes sat up, oddly amused, “You seem to be in an awful hurry. Orders from above, I presume?”

“Yeah.” You lied, “We’re leaving. Sorry, you can’t know where. The Revolution cannot share all of its intents, after all.”

Alkes shrugged theatrically. “I understand, especially not to strangers from the east, hm? Though with the battle earlier…I wonder if you intend towards the north, or if your leaders have stranger plans..?”

“Speculate all you like. We’re leaving. Ciao.”

“Good luck, Commander,” Alkes said brightly, smirking with closed eyes.

“…Yeah, you too.” You said as you went upstairs.

Both Princess Edelina and Prince Alexander were mute and subdued as they were led out, though while Edelina’s silence was of lingering despair, Alexander was still deep in thought, periodically glancing at his sister. Perhaps he suspected- but something was preventing him from making the logical leap. Probably for the best; he had gotten violent with his sister before over her not telling him where some crusty old book was. If he learned that she had been responsible, albeit unintentionally, for their family’s death…you would likely have to restrain him, and gag him.

Rolled 2, 1, 2, 1 = 6 (4d3)

The practice run from earlier today made preparations go even more speedily than before; as soon as the tanks and truck had been extracted from their holes and their camouflage tarps rolled up, you were ready to go; once more, the Fallschirmjager led the way- though you badly wished to speed ahead of them and get to Linda before anything could possibly reach her.

-----

Of course, this was still Revolutionary territory you were blundering through, and it had been a few days since the initial chaos. Perhaps you should have expected to run into something…

>d3s rolled for encounter here

>2, 1, 2, 1 - Revolutionaries, Small Party, Energetic, Militia

“Hey! Hey!” Without warning, a squad of Revolutionary Militiamen ran up in your path, after a few minutes on the trail. The Fallschirmjager hadn’t screened them; they had heard your tanks and simply come…running. “Man, finally,” their leader panted; these people weren’t as worthless looking as the first group you’d encountered that you’d taken your current set of armbands off of. They had the roughened look of country folk, and weapons that had properly come out of an armory.

The squad leader, or however they termed themselves, was a broad, burly man with a beard that threatened to eat their head and a woolen beanie atop their head; he looked more fit to be a barkeep than a soldier, with the spare ballast around his middle, but he certainly looked strong, at least, as did his fellows. “We were told to head north and meet up with the first guys we found. Hear there’s been servants prowling around, busting in small parts of the line, really didn’t want to meet one of them, you know? You at least look…” He looked at you, then to the Fallschirmjager who were dressed much like his people were. “…official enough? Where are you going, anyways? South? Why?”

>[Haughty Commandant] I don’t have to tell you. I was commanded to. Go north; that’s where you’re needed, not bothering me.
>[Gregarious Upstart] Like you said, break ins by the enemies of The Class. We’re doing a quick look see to make sure everything’s all right. You want to join us?
>[Surprise, We’re Fallschirmjager!] Shoot them.
>Other?

>>3275627
>>[Haughty Commandant] I don’t have to tell you. I was commanded to. Go north; that’s where you’re needed, not bothering me.

>>3275627
>[Haughty Commandant] I don’t have to tell you. I was commanded to. Go north; that’s where you’re needed, not bothering me.

Maybe we can try to “clarify” their orders that they were probably meant to meet up with the rev camp that got attacked. Maybe we can even play it up a bit and ask him how he got those orders, they seem a bit vague for a direct order to his group, unless their CO was just blindingly incompetent or indifferent to his subordinates wellbeing.

>>3275627
>>[Haughty Commandant] I don’t have to tell you. I was commanded to. Go north; that’s where you’re needed, not bothering me.

The Vitellians we encountered when we first dropped were pretty condescending towards their militia counterparts, no need to break the mold.

>>3275640
>>3275647
>>3275668
I am a commander of the Revolutionary Army. I do not need to say anything, but out of the goodness of my heart; you're wanted north.

Writing.

You did your best impression of a sneering Vitelian commandant, turning your nose up and grunting dismissively. “I don’t have to tell you what I am doing or why. I was commanded to do so; that’s it. It seems that your orders were flawed; I do not require your aid. If you were sent north, then there are formations further that way that would appreciate…help. That is where you are needed, not here or near, bothering me.”

The militaman’s face fell. “Oh. Right.”

One of his comrades, however, did not falter so readily. “Hey, fuck you, spaghetti head, we’ve been fighting and dying just like your asses. The least we deserve is respect. We’re part of Greater Vitelia too, we’re part of the Class, we don’t have to get pushed around by you lot!”

You did exactly as what you imagined an RAGV officer would in reaction to that, and scoffed heartily. “Without us you would be nothing. You have yet to prove otherwise; if you wish to be exempted from criticism, then move north like I told you to!” Then, over the intercom, “Driver, on.” Hopefully he’d get the idea to not actually run these people over.

“Hey, we’re not done!” the same mouthy upstart shouted at you, but he moved aside, as did the rest of the squad, and you continued onward. A glance back was made to make sure they weren’t doing anything silly, like following you; when you were sure they weren’t, you shouted the Fallschirmjager faster forward. The plane had since come down, and the sound of its engine was growing fainter as it spun down. No more delays could be made, whatsoever.

-----

You followed the sound of the distant engine, even as it became steadily inaudible, south. Towards the coast. You remembered on maps that there was a railroad and road that followed the coast, so theoretically, it was flat enough to land on. Mind, landing a plane on a field wasn’t as easy as one would think. On a road…maybe. You would have only tried it in an emergency, but…Linda was an incredible pilot. You wouldn’t have doubted that she could land on a rooftop. Taking off again…well, she could probably use the road? Maybe?

You had to think in terms of boon, here. The Sunset Chaser had a cockpit for two, and it could probably jam in three. That meant you could send the Prince and Princess packing. Though…it wasn’t likely that Linda had come for either of them, and you knew it.

Linda hadn’t attempted to hide it; maybe she hadn’t had time. There it was, by the road, dull crimson- untouched by any hostility it might have been shown on the way here. Yet, it was empty. You jumped out of your Luftpanzer before it had stopped, and half ran half staggered over. Were you too late?

“Rein?” you heard a voice, from the woods to your flank.

File: lpq_scene30.png (522 KB, 616x900)

522 KB PNG

You looked over, and saw nothing at first, but…well, your face was nothing if not recognizable to those who knew you, and you soon saw Linda come out of hiding. You began to approach her without thinking. She looked the same as you’d left her; dressed in a way that hardly fit her, her hair black and scruffy and quite unwomanlike save for two tails that ended near her chin.

“Rein…” She approached you steadily, as you moved up to meet her. As soon as you got close, she threw her arms around you and hugged you tightly. “Thank goodness…I’m not too late.” She backed away, and with a firm expression, her eyes still wide as though her resolve was shaken, she bent her mouth into an obstinate frown like you’d seen her do since she was a child. “I’m here now. I didn’t break my promise. I don't care what you say, I'm not gonna leave without keeping it.”

“Your promise?” you didn’t remember making anything like that.

“To Dolcherr.” Linda said, her voice shaking a bit, “And to myself. Rein. You’re coming home. I’m not losing anybody else if I can help it.”

>I’m not leaving. I have to protect my men, and the Princess and Prince. You can fit three people in your plane…I have a favor to ask.
>You shouldn’t have come here. Get back in that plane and leave right now; we can keep anybody from interrupting your takeoff, but you can’t stay.
>But you just got here! Don’t you want to stay and take some time off?
>…I know that you won’t take no for an answer, not without staying here and keeping an eye on me. Fine. I’ll come home with you.
>Other?

>>3275905
>I’m not leaving. I have to protect my men, and the Princess and Prince. You can fit three people in your plane…I have a favor to ask.

File: 1425873963655.jpg (39 KB, 400x320)

39 KB JPG

>>3275964
>I’m not leaving. I have to protect my men, and the Princess and Prince. You can fit three people in your plane…I have a favor to ask.

Hoo boy she ain't gonna like it.

Tell her that this is bigger than any one person, just remind her that we don't want Dolcherr to die in vain. Getting the Royals out of here makes this pain worth it. And there isn't much time.

>>3275905
>>I’m not leaving. I have to protect my men, and the Princess and Prince. You can fit three people in your plane…I have a favor to ask.

Put it is this way, if we go back with her without finishing our mission, it's basically a court-martial. At least if the Royals get out we don't have to wait around for extraction.

>>3275905
>>I’m not leaving. I have to protect my men, and the Princess and Prince. You can fit three people in your plane…I have a favor to ask.

“I’m not going anywhere.” You started off flatly, only to be cut off by Linda’s immediate protest.

“Why!?” Linda threw her arms down and shouted in your face.

“Because,” you tried to continue without being shouted at again, “I have to take care of the men under my command, and the Princess and Prince. If they don’t get out, then Dolcherr….he’ll have died for nothing. There’s not much time; I know you can carry two people plus the pilot in the Chaser, so I’ve got a favor to ask-“

“No.” Linda said firmly. “Reinhold. Douran didn’t go and die for the sake of some dumb royal family or for this cruddy country, or for any stupid mission, who would give that much of a shit? He got himself killed because…” she trailed off, like she just caught herself before saying something she’d regret. “You’re coming back. If you get killed like he did, then he’ll have died for nothing. If I leave you here and something happens to you, I’ll hate myself for the rest of my life. You think I didn’t see you with that new limp? You’re already hurt.”

“Linda,” you tried to budge in tiredly, but you weren’t allowed.

“Don’t Linda me, Reinhold!” her face was twisted with distraught now, and her voice was breaking, “If you’re not leaving, then I’m not leaving either!”

“You can’t stay here,” you said with new energy, “Don’t be ridiculous. This is no place or time for-“

“For what, Reinhold?” Linda demanded, “One by one, my friends have been disappearing, and I couldn’t do shit but hide at home like a stupid little girl. I’m sick of that. If you can’t go, I can’t either. You’ve protected me as far back as I can remember. It’s my turn to protect you.” She was now well and truly upset now, struggling not to cry.

However, you were up against a wall with her. Linda flying back out with the royals freed up so many options for you- but you knew she wouldn’t hear it, no matter how convincing the argument. She had the idea in her head that you’d run off to your death the second she took her eyes off of you.

>Do your best to explain your potential plans, still- couldn’t she trust you to take care of yourself?
>Accept her condition that she stays here to “protect” you. Whether she could or not, you couldn’t leave. Not yet.
>It wasn’t a good thing for a friend to take advantage of, but you knew how badly Linda felt for you. A showing of strong disapproval should move her along- slap her.
>Other?

Going to be in the courthouse for the morning and playing a game for the evening, so this'll probably be all I can fit in for a while.

>>3276555
Don't think she'll readily listen to us at this point so:
>>It wasn’t a good thing for a friend to take advantage of, but you knew how badly Linda felt for you. A showing of strong disapproval should move her along- slap her.
Then
>Do your best to explain your potential plans, still- couldn’t she trust you to take care of yourself?
If she gets the Royals out, it means we can leave Halmeggia way faster than anticipated. Trying to play hero here isn't going to protect jack shit; just do what you're good at and you'll be protecting in as well by making my job much easier to accomplish so we can go back home.
If she really doesn't want to listen I guess we could guilt-trip her further.

>>3276555
>Other?
"How? How are you going to protect me by abandoning this opportunity and tagging along? Because the way I see it, the only thing that's going to happen is me stuffing you into a tank along with the Royals with my men and I protecting YOU. Again. Which is what you don't want right?

You have one option if you want to help me here. Get the Royals out. That'll allow us to move much more freely and make us safer. You have to trust me here."

>>3276648
>>3276746
I support these, Reinhold can make it up to her later by bringing her to the swankiest bar in town and showing her around.

>>3276555
Also supporting the slappy-explainy >>3276648 >>3276746

>>3276648
>>3276746
Along these lines, we can make a deal: if she gets the royals out, we'll immediately turn east and go surrender ourselves on the border with the protectorate I forget the name of. Sure they'll imprison us for a while but we'll be safe and our mission will be complete. That way everyone wins.
I would think that fuel might be an issue if she's going to turn around and fly her plane all the way back to the Reich and now carrying the weight of two more people, but I assume she would know if that were an issue so I guess I won't question it.

Everyone should keep in mind that nothing tell us if she'll be able to go through thre protectorate airspace unopposed again.
>”This isn’t over, Colonel. If you won’t do it, then we’ll find somebody who will.”
We can't just stuff the royals inside the plane and hope they don't get shot down finger-crossed.

This is >>3276880

Part of me feels like >>3278533 is right in that risking two Royals isn't ideal, but I don't think Reinhold knows about the Westbrucht(?) pilots transmission they and they are probably in even more danger down here with us.

I'm modifying my vote to
>Other?

If/when Linda agrees ask her how many passengers she can safely take before it effects her planes performance. If we have to choose, send Edelina in the plane and Alexander with us.

But the best would be she takes both.

Watch them have fuel issues and bailing in the middle of the bay.

Alright.

>>3276648
>>3277801
>>3277831
Open palm, meet face. Then, once you have her attention, explain. In addition:
>>3276746
More reasoning, and;
>>3277831
Plan to turn yourself in to the Protectorate after sending her off, perhaps? There'll be a vote on whether to follow this or not. As long as you don't mind being imprisoned for an uncertain (if assuredly not terribly long relatively) period of time...though the Kaiser certainly wouldn't let you stew for long, anyways.

>>3278901
And make sure Linda can take on this mission.

Should note that while Linda is rash and hotheaded, she knows the capabilities of her craft; fuel is not an issue at the moment (presumably she took some with her in the cargo), though if it was, you do have extra in the truck. Is it high performance aviation fuel? No, but it burns well enough.

Writing.

>>3279068
...Of course, there is one issue.

Reinhold is protective of Linda. The idea of physically harming her mortifies him. The thought of upsetting her makes him wary. Slapping her across the face might be what's necessary to make her listen, but whether Reinhold can bring himself to do that is another thing.

So I'm going to need up to three rolls, aiming to roll under 60, best of, in order to bring yourself to strike Linda.

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>3279071
Oh baby, keep that pimp hand strong.

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>3279071

You hesitated.

There was a plan that you had- one that could solve everything. You would be able to leave immediately, no waiting for the Reichsmarine, no increasing risk of being found out, you could simply get the Princess and Prince out, and then…well, whatever you did, it would be easier with them out of the picture. However, Linda wouldn’t hear it, and you knew that when she had an idea in her head, she tended to stick with it…unless she thought you utterly disapproved.

You closed your eyes, though. You couldn’t bear to watch what you had to do.

With a wind up and a swing, you felt your palm slap Linda across the face, hard. When you opened your eyes right after, Linda was in utter shock. Her eyes were wide as saucers, her mouth hung open, and she shakily raised a hand to her cheek and touched her fingers to it. Her face was so horrified as her eyes turned back to you that you felt your gut twist, but it was out of necessity; you promised, sometime, you’d make this offense up to her.
“Linda,” you said to her, firming your voice against any lingering unsteadiness, “Listen to me. Trying to play hero here won’t protect jack shit. How are you going to protect me by throwing away this chance and tagging along? The way I see it, the only thing that’ll happen is that you get stuffed into a tank, with the Royals, and I end up protecting you instead. Again. That’s not what you want, right?”

Linda was near catatonic, but she sputtered out, “N…N-no…”

“So you do what you’re amazing at, and I keep doing what I’m good at. Right? If you do this, everything will be easy for me. I’ll get right back. So…won’t you do this for me? Please?”

Linda still retained that shocked expression, slowly fading into an empty one, as her shoulders slumped. You saw wet trails appear on her cheeks, but she nodded, and began to head back to her plane. “I’ll just need…” her voice was devoid of its usual energy, “…help putting fuel in. I brought enough, I think, to get back. Even if I can’t make it all the way back, I can glide. I’ll…be able to make it.”

“Can you take two people instead of one other?” you asked, looking over the Sunset Chaser. You’d heard it could cram an extra in that long passenger/navigator space…

“…Yeah.” You would have rather heard confidence in Linda’s answer, but her voice was hollow. “It’ll…be fine.”

-----

Your men covered the area as the refueling of the Chaser was done. Linda’s low spirits cratered your enthusiasm, but this was for the better, you kept telling yourself. So long as she wasn’t distracted, at least.

In spite of the area being open, and on a road, there was a miraculous lack of interference. Maybe it was because of the sudden spat of gunfire to the north signaling the start of yet another battle; boy, were you glad to not be near that. However, in time, everything was done; the engines were starting up, and the prince and princess had been loaded in, reassured that they were going to a safe place, now.

Linda said nothing as she headed back towards the plane, her head down. Every so often, she would sniff deeply, and wipe her face, as she had done for the whole of the process of getting her plane ready for the return trip.

You wondered, briefly, if there was anything else you should take care of…

>Send the Grimoire along with her; that probably would be best to send back along.
>Keep the Grimoire with you- it was your charge, now, and yours to dispose of. Just in case.
>Do something to help raise Linda’s spirits?
>Other?
Also
>Plan to escape by surrendering at the border to the Westbuchtr Protectorate- Prison would be undignified, but the mission would be over and all of the men safe.
>Go to shelter yourself within Reichsport. It would be a comfortable enough and safe stay, and no way were you going to trust yourself to the Protectorate that had trapped the Royals in here.
>Remain as vagrants, loitering outside and keeping out of the way. Eventually, the Reichsmarine would arrive, and you would be waiting…

>>3279120
>Keep the Grimoire with you- it was your charge, now, and yours to dispose of. Just in case.
It's just a book strapped to the bottom of a tank.

>Do something to help raise Linda’s spirits?
Nope. She has to focus on the task, not us.

>Plan to escape by surrendering at the border to the Westbuchtr Protectorate- Prison would be undignified, but the mission would be over and all of the men safe.
I doubt they will just disappear us. Especially if they know that the Kaiser knows of our plan. The day they cross that line with him is a bad day for the Reich. And a good day for Strossvald.

>>3279125
Moreover, paratroopers were offered free passage.
We can tell we're just stragglers, lagging behind and we missed the flight.

>>3279303
Oh, and we must DEFINITELY disguise the royals. Can't take the risk of having a pilot getting a glimpse of their hair color or worse.

Question: Should we destroy our tanks? How the protectorate would handle them? Give them back to the Kaiser or reverse engineer the shit out of them? How to hide the Grimoire if we get in Prison?

>Do something to help raise Linda’s spirits?
And maybe we should do something for Linda, like telling her about how thanks to her, we'll be home sooner, or something?

>>3279316
Give her a great big hug.

>>3279120
>>Keep the Grimoire with you- it was your charge, now, and yours to dispose of. Just in case.

>Do something to help raise Linda’s spirits?
Apologize, hug and ensure her were gonna make it through this. Then give her the kiss shes always wanted.

>Other?
Is it feasible to break north and join up with Wolfe, they have airfields under their control. We could just be flown out later then things clear up with the protectorates. I do not trust them to not fire on us and claim we were unknowns trying to cross the border or just disappear us.

regardless what we do, we should tell Linda so command knows our intentions.

>>3279120
>Keep the Grimoire with you- it was your charge, now, and yours to dispose of. Just in case.
>Do something to help raise Linda’s spirits?
Give her an embrace.
>Plan to escape by surrendering at the border to the Westbuchtr Protectorate- Prison would be undignified, but the mission would be over and all of the men safe.
Also tell Linda to tell the Colonel about our plans.

>>3279120
>Keep the Grimoire with you- it was your charge, now, and yours to dispose of. Just in case.
>Do something to help raise Linda’s spirits?
Hug at most, she needs to stay focused.

>Go to shelter yourself within Reichsport. It would be a comfortable enough and safe stay, and no way were you going to trust yourself to the Protectorate that had trapped the Royals in here

I don't trust what they might do out of spite during our stay in prison and iirc the Royals were the main reason we couldn't kick back and go native at Reichport.


I also want to point out that if prison wins we need to dispose of the Grimoire before then. Taking it with us to the Reich won't be an option.

Hey tanq can I get a risk assessment?

How badly or well are we expected to be treated in prison?

What's the risk of Reichport now that the Royals are no longer with us?

Cause it feels like it's the same amount of time we'll be waiting between both options, getting processed/released vs waiting for the call. Only difference being waiting in prison vs waiting in a nicer city.

>>3279316
> Should we destroy our tanks?

Standard procedure if you expect to be captured is to destroy your equipment, but in this case it's not terribly necessary. This is largely due to the fact that in spite of the protectorates being all over the spectrum of defiance and recalcitrance, they are still at least nominally allied with and protected by the Kaiser.

>How the protectorate would handle them? Give them back to the Kaiser or reverse engineer the shit out of them?

It's sort of an odd case. The technology of the protectorates isn't at all far behind the Reich Proper as far as land equipment goes, though it is older due to less investment, but at the same time, for how much money was put into the project and the cost per unit, a Luftpanzer II isn't THAT intimidating a vehicle if it isn't being dumped out of a plane- particularly, the heavy transports only really used in quantity in the Grossreich by the Reich Proper. So its worth isn't as easy to parse. In summary, it's quite a vehicle, but its utility without heavy airlift is...subjective.

>>3279657
>Hey tanq can I get a risk assessment?How badly or well are we expected to be treated in prison?

It won't be comfortable, but they would not shove you in an oubliette. It wouldn't suck terribly, but they would also not be in much hurry to push through totally unintended red tape either. You'd be likely to get home plenty later than otherwise; possibly by a few weeks.

>What's the risk of Reichport now that the Royals are no longer with us?

I leave that to personal opinion based on what has been said about it. However, it seemed the main concern against going there was the risk brought by proximity to many with such recognizable people in tow. So without them, I'd think the general risk as assessed by the players would be far lower than initially.

>>3279712
If we do get picked up by the Reichsmarine, will they have to fight their way out of the blockade as well, given how tightly they seem to want to enforce it?

>>3279729
I think that's only around Reichport yeah? Once we get into radio range we could organize the pick up farther down the coast and just meet the Reichsmarine there.

>>3279802
>>3279802
Not really concerned whatever crappy ships the Halmeggian fleet has; the actual Protectorate navy. If they're willing to shoot down Linda's plane and risking a punitive expedition due to her father's connections it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to do something even more stupid.

File: 1534550157240.png (2.3 MB, 3000x1702)

2.3 MB PNG

>>3279811
>>3279802
Pretty sure the protectorate navy is just sitting pretty at the mouth of the bay until the reich proper decides to perform freedom of navigation operations into it.

>>3279811
The broke off pursuit once they realized who it was.

See >>3271237

>>3279827
>>3279712
The protectorate wouldn't open up on the Reichsmarine would they?

File: Flight Route.png (393 KB, 562x874)

393 KB PNG

>>3279839
Yeah and that guy's superiors are willing to find someone willing to do it.

As a side note to minimise the risk of flying back Tanq is it possible for Linda to fly any alternative routes as indicated? IIRC Dhegyar is loyal to the Kaiser hence flying south and east might be a better idea especially if the Reichmarine can provide us with support.

>>3279839
If they did open up, i expect the Reich would dissolve into civil war the other protectorates, Emre and Naukland would likely see it as their chance to put down the old empire for good. Good for Strossvald, bad for Vinstraga? whenever the eastern continent invades

>>3279729
Mostly the idea concerning the pickup is, when they come, the diplomats will have done their work and there won't be a blockade anymore. And >>3279802 is as >>3279827 says where you're not really going to go down enough coastline to dodge the blockade.

>>3279839
>The protectorate wouldn't open up on the Reichsmarine would they?

That would be a phenomenally poor idea for their health if they did so and the Reichsmarine ships elected to aggressively defend themselves, but it would be their right to considering that such is their territorial waters. Hence why diplomacy is the preferred option- as mighty as the Reichsmarine's battleships are (Protectorate Navies' heavier craft tend to be older and in fewer numbers-they're expensive!), it would be preferable if they weren't damaged in what would ultimately be a rather bad diplomatic gaffe regardless of how much disproportionate pain they inflicted back. >>3279868 The danger here is also quite relevant; whether they like one another or not, the mutual protection of the Reich's constituents binds them together quite well. Well, save for the conquest protectorates like Felbach and Andhalos, but that's another issue entirely.

>>3279859
This is indeed a possibility. The Dhegyar people are known for loyalty to the Kaiser himself, yes, though Protectorate politics are a bit more thorny. That said, they would definitely be a lot more open to the idea of doing the Kaiser a favor by allowing an action like that, and it would be a safe presumption to assume they'd do that. Linda is also of Dhegyar descent, on her mother's side. Halmeggians have an ancestral rivalry with them due to Dhegyar warlords conquering and lording over their lands hundreds of years ago, though that was so long ago it's largely irrelevant in current politics beyond banter.

>>3279896
Wait now that the royals are no longer an issue couldn't the Reich open channels with the protectorates and say the Reichsmarine is just picking up stragglers that didn't make it to the airport, allow us to go through?

Also sorry if I'm being a pain in the ass guys, I'm just trying to find ways to avoid going to prison for a couple of weeks, specially if the Reichsmarine is already on it's way.

>>3279908
I mean I'd rather we rot in prison for a few weeks if everyone gets out alive and safe especially since we got Linda to see reason. Even if the risk is less now if she can fly them out.

>>3279908
>Wait now that the royals are no longer an issue couldn't the Reich open channels with the protectorates and say the Reichsmarine is just picking up stragglers that didn't make it to the airport, allow us to go through?

Perhaps; though you'd probably want to wait for the announcement to go through that they made it back and are in custody. And also count on Westbuchtr not being pissed off and petty.

You would certainly hear about such happening though because the Aristocracy would presumably have to come up with a whole lot of excuses.

>>3279920
Yeah if they decided to be really petty (which from what we've seen so far they definitely are) they could just leave us to rot out of spite.

>>3279920
If Ace Combat is allowed penal fighter squadrons, then why cant Reinhold be part of an airlifted armored penal company. That way we can have our Roth-Vogel vs von Tracht showdown for the Imperial Gates.

>>3279924
More worried theyd just gun us down and claim we never made it. Alot could happen on the road to Westbuchtr

>>3279934
I mean if they decide to be petty and decided to still enforce the blockade even if the Royals manage to get away then we're basically stuck here until further notice. Which is...not exactly ideal especially as the front lines become more established and there's less space for us to maneuver without being spotted by either side.

>>3279924
>>3279934
Pretty much what I'm mostly worried about. Going to Reichport gives a little more control over our destiny. Surrendering to potentially petty cunts makes me uneasy. I might just be paranoid though

>>3279959
We could make a break north towards Wolfe's lines. We could inform him beforehand we have his radio frequency, and from there we can either wait to be airlifted out and kill some revs in our spare time. Also we could leave him the tanks, I'd feel better for it then just scuttling them.

>>3279976
The point is it's unlikely that the aerial blockade is likely to be lifted soon either, especially if we manage to sneak the Royals out under their noses.

>>3279976
No real point to risk our men in combat if we can help it.

I'd say we stay at Reichport until we get more information about the Royal's extraction and the status of the Reichsmarine + Diplomacy with the West and then decide from there. Surrendering is always going to be on the table, but once we do it there is no going back.

>>3279985
>>3279998
We could camp out by one of Wolfes airfields until picked up. IIRC the heavy transports the Reich used were capable of going around Westbruchr so we could just wait on one of those to come back without violating Westbruchr's mainland airspace. And atleast inside Wolfes territory we could be somewhat certain were safe from a random rev patrol or a random check in Reichsport.

>>3280011
Wolfe might not want to shelter us once he finds out the Royals have managed to flee the country though; especially if it gives Kaiser Henrik a casus belli to intervene in Halmeggia directly later. Remember plenty of his men wanted them dead as well.

>>3279120
>>Keep the Grimoire with you- it was your charge, now, and yours to dispose of. Just in case.
Sending it in the plane is essentially just putting it back in Edelina's hands and it might very well be grabbed by Alexander or maybe even make its way up to the Kaiser which would be dangerous. We should keep holding on to it.
>>Do something to help raise Linda’s spirits?
Kiss her I guess
>>Plan to escape by surrendering at the border to the Westbuchtr Protectorate- Prison would be undignified, but the mission would be over and all of the men safe.
Now that we've sent the royals off we really have no reason to stick around and wait for the political situation to change, especially since for all we know it could only deteriorate. The men deserve to finally have their mission over. If we explain we're simply a straggling unit of paratroopers that got left behind I don't think Westbuchtr would have any reason at all to hold us for an extended period of time.

Since this is a pretty important decision Depending on how things go you could be right on top of the finish line I'll let there be more deliberation if needed; I'll start writing late tonight. Though, just to keep a tally on things (and make sure I have things counted up right):

1-
>>3279125
>>3279373
>>3279391
>>3279478
>>3280527
Keep the book with.

2-
>>3279125
>>3279316
Nothing, and more words.

>>3279391
>>3279478
Hug

>>3280527
>>3279373
Smooch

3-
>>3279125
>>3279391
>>3280527
Go to jail do not pass go- Off to the protectorate, and have Linda drop a word that you'd rather not stay in prison for too long.

>>3279373
Try to head north (west first) to the Militarists to try for menage a trois. Also because fuck Westbuchtr.

>>3279478
>>3279998
Go to Reichsport.

>>3281093
Both the Reichsport votes you tallied were me. Was just carrying on the discussion on my phone.

>>3281102
Aight, noted, no biggie.

>>3279120
>Send the Grimoire along with her; that probably would be best to send back along.
Keep it, maybe look into it a bit now that we have some time to ourselves.

>Do something to help raise Linda’s spirits?
Smooch/Hug

>Plan to escape by surrendering at the border to the Westbuchtr Protectorate- Prison would be undignified, but the mission would be over and all of the men safe.
We did keep our uniforms right?

>>3282602
>Keep it, maybe look into it a bit now that we have some time to ourselves.

>Wanting to touch anything remotely magical more than we have to.
Recipe for disaster.

Besides we need to get rid of it before we surrender. Bury it or something.

>>3282792
Once he gets safely back to the Reich, Reinhold should donate the Grimoire to a charity for the blind

Alright, turns out, it was next day, but I'm writin' now. Things largely the same as before.

>>3282602
>We did keep our uniforms right?

Of course! Well hidden, of course. I'd presume you want to put those back on before you approach the (twitchy) border defense.

“Hey, wait a moment,” you reached out and grabbed Linda by her shoulder. “Before you go.” You spun her around and wrapped an arm around her, and with one hand on her back and the other pushing her chin up, you knelt forward. Linda was confused for the moment you looked into her eyes, before you closed your own and touched your lips to hers. You held her like that, for three seconds, five seconds, ten seconds, before drawing back. The girl in your arms felt like she had been petrified, and when you looked down at her, she stared back up at you, mouth slightly open.

“…Huh?” Linda’s voice cracked in confusion, “I…”

Your hand went to the top of her head as you squeezed her against you, petting her hair from back to front. “It’ll be all alright, Linda,” you said quietly in her ear, “Since you’re doing this, we can go straight home. Just back over the border, safe and sound. I’d like you to be safe too, though. You flew over Westbuchtr to get here, right?” She nodded against you. “So can you go south to the Dhegyar Protectorate?” She looked the part to go there, even; Linda was one quarter Dhegyar, descended from her half-blooded mother. Dhegyar women were said to be exceptionally headstrong, and that certainly described Linda Falkenstein, but if anything you would have said it came from her father. “If anything were to happen to you because of my crap, I don’t know what I’d do. So keep safe, alright?”

Linda nodded against you again. She wasn’t hugging you back, though you did feel her hands lightly touch against your sides. “…Ten years.”

“Hm?”

“Ten years,” Linda muttered, as she pushed herself against you, “That’s…how long I’ve waited. This…” she sniffed and wiped her eyes, “I can’t let that all go to waste now.” A particularly thunderous artillery barrage echoed north, catching both of your attentions. “I should go.” Linda said as you released her and she backed away, “Rein. I…I’ll never stop waiting, but…” she hesitated before going for her plane, “After this…I’d like to not wait much longer.” She turned around, “I’ll…see you when you get home.”

-----

Much as you would have liked to watch the Sunset Chaser vanish over the horizon after its shaky takeoff from the road, less nervous about Linda being able to fly out and more keeping an eye out for anybody stupid enough to take a shot at her while you were close, you had told her that you would be leaving soon, and that was exactly what you were set to do.

“Everybody!” you announced to your people, “We’re going home now! Head east, and when we’re close to the border, get back in uniform so Westbuchtr doesn’t decide we’re too close and call mortars on our heads. Until then, we keep our disguises on and don’t stop for anybody. The Revolutionaries should be pretty occupied to the north, so there’s no time like the present to get the hell out. Let’s bust out of this shit hole!”

The response was muted but still positive; another good thing about the royals being swept out, was that they weren’t around to hear you call their country a shit hole. They may have objected to such, but any beauty in Halmeggia was, by your measure, not present at the time. Especially with the fighting to the north kicking up a notch- the gunfire was distant but definitely had the sense of a brewing storm, one that you would very much like to be within the Reich before experiencing, even if it would likely be a dusty protectorate prison.

-----

Stupid. So fucking stupid. A stupid moron bitch idiot, that’s what she was, Linda thought bitterly. Damn it all to hell. Ten years he’d wanted him to kiss her. Four years ago she kissed him, sure; not in the friends or family way, and it was part of one of the worst mistakes of her life. She finally got this, and she couldn’t get it out of her mind that he only did it because she was crying, like some little kid who didn’t get their way. Somebody who didn’t deserve it.
God, it was so frustrating. Dolcherr was probably correct as usual; the way she and Reinhold went about, she would probably be a maiden forever. Though she didn’t think she could be blamed; whenever he was close, when he seemed upset or dissatisfied, she got so distressed that she just couldn’t think straight. Roland would probably snicker that Reinhold had ruined her, and maybe he’d be right, but Linda didn’t mind that.

It was too bad the Chaser wasn’t a plane with an open cockpit, else she’d fly low to the ocean and feel the ocean spray and the cool wind of the sea. Maybe she’d settle for buzzing a ship on the way back…though not one of the Westbuchtr ones.

Linda Falkenstein found release in pulling the plane into a shallow dive and turning the world into a blur as she headed for the southlands of the Reich, ignoring the complaints of the crowded in passengers. It was probably a good thing, Linda thought as she very belatedly looked around for any potential predators, that she would be taking a peaceful way back, even if it wasn’t back to the Reich Proper and thus discomfortingly far from familiar faces.

-----

“That plane will be coming back. Are you prepared to intercept?”

“No. And we won’t be again.”

“Why the hell not? We had an agreement, Major.”

“The report came back that it’s heading south instead of back east. I’m not sending a squadron into Dhegyar air. It’d be unthinkable to take an action that was not in direct defense of our territorial integrity, by violating the sovereignty of another state. Even I know enough of politics to figure out what could happen if we went ahead with this.”

“The counselor will not be pleased.”

“That is unfortunate. However, unless you can pull strings in Dhegyar, this game is over.”

“…Damn the Kaiser and damn his Dhegyar grovelers. Fine, then. You are dismissed, Major.”

….

….

“…No, Herr Von Brurne, I’m afraid not…No, I suppose having such a thing happen in the Dhegyar territories would not be helpful, hm. No, it seems that Westbuchtr’s pilots would rather not think in a way cooperative to that sort of scheme. No tragic scandals will be occurring, though given how off the cuff this was, perhaps that should have been expected…Yes, I know. At the very least, Herr Von Falkenstein will be spared any grief, though Westbuchtr will also be unable to appreciate the magnitude of scandal they unwittingly evaded…”


-----
It was actually rather strange, to look down a road and not see anybody coming the opposite way as far as the eye could see. The situation to the north was drawing traffic, evidently, and not in a way that Revolutionary Command must have decided that traffic on this rather significant looking roadway and railway would have helped with. Without demand nor necessity, the stretch was oddly barren of people.

Yet the idleness let you notice something else. As the sun burned the sky with streaks of orange, pink, and red, the sunset twinkled on the dark seas to the south, deep shadows and glinting sunlight turning the waters into a lovely kaleidoscope as night ever so slowly descended. In spite of the drama humanity was engaged in, you thought, this lovely sunset still passed over these lands, as it had for eons. With no smoke belching ships or enemy fire or the like to ruin the view, the atmosphere, your annoyance with Halmeggia faded, and you wondered if anybody else was looking at this day ending, and wondering when the last sun would set on this civil war. How many of those looking and thinking such would live to see that final sunset?

On that note, you’d probably, at this rate, be getting into Westbuchtr in the dark. Extra precaution would have to be taken not to spook them, but it was nothing traveling with lights blazing and a flare fired wouldn’t fix. Yeah, going back probably wouldn’t be hard, especially the way you planned to do it in loading up all the Fallschirmjager and simple speeding down the road as fast as you could while the AUSC was being helpfully distracting. The odder decision was what to do with the thing the Princess had entrusted you with-a wrapped up old book. You’d kept it with you- it was almost definitely the fabled Grimoire, you bet, but you never unwrapped it to take a look. When you got back into your tank, you touched a hand to it, felt lines beneath the cloak that covered it. Curiosity flickered in your head, however, you also remembered how fervent Edelina had been in her requests that it never be examined, never opened, merely taken away and lost. Thus you hadn’t sent it along with Linda, to make it her problem.

Now was a good time to lose it, you thought, as you drummed on the book’s hidden surface. Or should you bring it with you? Nobody but Halmeggia’s elite knew what it was, after all. You could probably take it home. Or, to be safe, you could bury it right here, where nobody would ever find it. Even safer; you could burn the thing. Nobody would find it at the bottom of a hole, but not even the worms would find flakes of ash floating on the wind.

>Take it with you. It would certainly have to be taken out of the country, you bet, and who would take it from you once you got out?
>Bury the thing. It was time to be done with it. Let it resurface a century from now; by then it would perhaps be forgotten entirely.
>Soak the package in petrol and burn it. It was the only way to be safe.
>Other?

>>3285269
I get the impression the easy option of torching the spook book will probably just release all of it's bad juju in one go, so, for the sake of keeping it out of these civil warriors' hands and continuing the escalating wizard-bullshit shenanigans after we've said goodbye to the good captain...
>Take it with you. It would certainly have to be taken out of the country, you bet, and who would take it from you once you got out?

>>3285269
>>Take it with you. It would certainly have to be taken out of the country, you bet, and who would take it from you once you got out?
At least bring it over the border first.

>>3285269
Isn't it going to get taken by the Protectorate when we surrendered and likely examined?

>>3285269
>Bury the thing. It was time to be done with it. Let it resurface a century from now; by then it would perhaps be forgotten entirely.

>>3285269
>Bury the thing. It was time to be done with it. Let it resurface a century from now; by then it would perhaps be forgotten entirely.

Put it in an empty gas can first, make it look like discarded trash, hell bury it with other trash we have.

>>3285269
>>Take it with you. It would certainly have to be taken out of the country, you bet, and who would take it from you once you got out?

>>3285269
>>Bury the thing. It was time to be done with it. Let it resurface a century from now; by then it would perhaps be forgotten entirely.

>>3285269
>>Take it with you. It would certainly have to be taken out of the country, you bet, and who would take it from you once you got out?
Even if we bury it I'd rather not leave it in Halmeggia. Better to bring it to a place where no one has heard of whatever it is.

>>3285759
Also the mossheads we shacked up with are still around and I'm not sure whether they have the means to retrieve it or not.

>>3285269
>>Bury the thing.
I think we should bury it under a recognizable tree or draw a treasure map like a pirate or something so that we might be able to come back and find it later after the war. If Edelina ever gets set up firmly in power she'll probably want her incalculably valuable family legacy back.

>>3285269
>Take it with you. It would certainly have to be taken out of the country, you bet, and who would take it from you once you got out?

All we have to do is get home and put it somewhere we will totally remember putting it, thus banishing it forever.

>>3285387
The likelihood of that, I think, was stated. Being imprisoned means you're likely to not have anything in your term, but the question is one of whether they would return it, here.

>>3285293
>>3285328
>>3285691
>>3285759
>>3286592

Take it with

>>3285583
>>3285667
>>3285721
>>3286385

Bury it.

I guess you're bringing a souvenir. It's just a boring bundle of crap, anyways, not like a suitcase full of gold or a tomboy or similar restricted contraband.

The package was picked up; then placed back down. Pondered, as it was regarded once more. Take it, or leave it? It was very tempting to simply bury the thing and be rid of it, and yet…there was something up with this crusty old book, and it wasn’t something you liked to think about. Things that no doubt led to more things, none of which you wished to be a part of. All that could be somebody else’s problem. Though, if all you had to do to make whatever situations you knew nothing about better was to take something and lose it? You were lazy enough for that to have an appeal to it.

So the wrapped up bundle stayed there at the bottom of the tank, as you led your group, hopefully, back to the comfort of the Reich. You had told Linda, before she left, to let the authorities know of the plan you were taking. Hopefully that would get passed up the chain in time for you to not have to stay in jail for too long.

----

The very last rays of sun were stretching into the sky, the day’s remnants a tiny glowing spot on the horizon, when the unfortified border with the Grossreich came into view; largely because, very suddenly, it had become fortified. None sensible among the rebel factions would stray near these at first glance hasty and unintimidating defenses, but even the men of the protectorates were still of the Reich, and generally far superior to what you had seen of Halmeggian soldiery let alone militia, in experience, discipline, and especially equipment and support. If any Revolutionaries were watching, they would be quite confused by your running straight for the border, but they would be unable to do anything about it. The scarlet beams of the Luftpanzer’s headlights must have glared like the eyes of demons- but they would protect you as well, since so far as you knew Halmeggia had no vehicles that used red lights for their vehicles. If the men of Westbuchtr’s army thought that the Luftpanzer Battalion was incompetent enough to allow their vehicles to be captured whole by the enemy here, that might be a problem, but they would have to be fools to assume that, by your measure. Maybe the Life Guards Panzer considered themselves the elite of the Reich’s armored forces, but none debated that the paratroopers were elite, and a wise man would know that Luftpanzer crews were but paratroopers in tanks.

Which you most certainly were, now; your uniforms had been changed back into. Granted, Winnifred still had your jacket, but otherwise, all was in order.

”Schneider, you keepin’ an eye behind us?” you asked over the radio, “Keep looking back. If we gotta stop for it, then stop, if not, then keep going. We’ll figure it out if you suddenly ditch for cover. I’m going to try and talk some shit over the open channel to see if I can talk to somebody who won’t shoot us for once.” With that, you aimed a flare pistol with far too little ammunition issued for it to be used in anything but emergency signaling, and fired a yellow star into the sky. Everybody would know you were there; at this point, only a good thing.
Of course, there wouldn’t be much reaction time for anybody who hadn’t already seen the red lights glaring; they’d just have to mind the improvised truce flag waving in the wind. Part of why you had come this far without being interrupted was how fast a Luftpanzer could go if it was motivated, and on a nice road like you drove all this way along the coast on it could go as quick as any truck; a rare opportunity to put the pedal to the metal and keep it there.

Much as you would have found it funny to coast up by the foxholes and sleazily lean out of the turret like you were passing girls on the street in a car, a Luftpanzer, in spite of being a very small tank, was still an armored beast. The humor you saw in the situation would not be shared by those manning the border. Shame, that. Sometimes in troubled times a few jokes were what was needed to keep your head together.

…Oh, and you might have wanted to depart a bit of a way away because…none of these people probably knew what a Luftpanzer even looked like. They’d probably be familiar with Halmeggian equipment, at least, and you damn well hoped they’d been told there would be paratroopers lingering.

-----

“The fuck are you?” the Westbuchtr private you had haughtily strolled towards with your hands in your pockets asked as he held an electric torch in your face, “The fuck is any of this? You wanting to come in as refugees? Tanks or no, you can’t come in. Somebody’ll throw you out even if I can’t.” There was something refreshing in seeing the red ochre uniform of a Reich soldier once more, even with the notable differences in dress between your sort and his. His helmet flared out and had the crest that Fallschirmjäger headgear lacked, and his body was protected by weighty body armor that was too heavy for the airborne to bother packing either. His self-loading rifle mimicked the Kar 1914s that your own paratroopers carried, and the only difference that the untrained eye would notice between this man of Westbuchtr and a soldier of the Reich Proper was the color of trousers and armor vest, which were a dark grey instead of brown.

“I’m Captain Reinhold Roth-Vogel of the Luftpanzer Project Battalion,” you introduced yourself with a bow, sweeping your hands out to your sides, “A member of his imperial majesty or whatever the Kaiser’s elite Fallschirmjäger and Luftwaffe. I’m here to make my way back home, if you’d be so kind as to let us in. I realize you have your orders to not let in refugees, considering the recent chaos, but I’d like to think that we’re VIPs, you know?”

The enlisted man squinted at you. “You ain’t wearing no uniform I recognize. Don’t look like tank crew.”

“Didn’t you hear me?” you pointed to your cap, emblazoned with the steel seal of the Fallschirmjäger, a knife flanked by wings. “Luftpanzer. Paratroopers!” The look he gave you was just like the ones ladies in bars gave you when you tried to tell them about it- confusion, fading interest. Good thing you didn’t want to sleep with this guy.

>Fine. Look, I should just go to your superiors. I’m a ranking officer- I’ll talk this out with them instead of wasting your time. Just point me in the right direction and I’ll make myself scarce, alright?
>Hey, can we make a deal? I’ve got all sorts of gold and stuff, jewelry- from a princess, even. If I give you that, can you look the other way while we drive on through?
>I’m here to turn myself in, even if you don’t know who or what I am. You people do whatever you do in this situation and we’ll go along with it- I’ve had a busy past few days and I need a break.
>Other?

----

Sorry for the big delay, in the meantime, it seems qst sped up a ton, and we're on page 10. You're officially out of danger, though the epilogue will probably have to be another thread. So while voting in for this, if there's anything you want to do in that generally, go ahead and write it in for the post-mission screwabout.

>>3290782
>>Fine. Look, I should just go to your superiors. I’m a ranking officer- I’ll talk this out with them instead of wasting your time. Just point me in the right direction and I’ll make myself scarce, alright?

>>3290782
>Fine. Look, I should just go to your superiors. I’m a ranking officer- I’ll talk this out with them instead of wasting your time. Just point me in the right direction and I’ll make myself scarce, alright?

If he still doesn't seem like he's going to budge then we can grease his palms.

>>3290782
>>Fine. Look, I should just go to your superiors. I’m a ranking officer- I’ll talk this out with them instead of wasting your time. Just point me in the right direction and I’ll make myself scarce, alright?

>>3290782
>So while voting in for this, if there's anything you want to do in that generally, go ahead and write it in for the post-mission screwabout.

I'd like Reinhold to see Winnifred off before she disappears into the intelligence spook ether with our kid , though I can totally she her slipping out the back so to speak without a word. Whatever feels more in character for you.

>>3290926
>I can totally she
totally see*

>>3290926
Supporting as well.
So back to Richter soon after the epilogue?

>>3290782
So did command consider this operation a success, or did the losses the paratroopers take make this an almost Crete like scenario where airborne operations are considered to costly?

>>3290782
Can we hide the Grimoire before turning ourself in?
There must be some secret compartment like some space in the armour? Or behind shell in the ammo rack? Inside the engine block?

>>3290990 #
Considering Fallschirmjager were expected, and the royal family betrayed, we managed to land an impressive amount of tanks, not loose too much of them, and save what could be saved.
They can have doubt about using Luftpanzer in wartime, but this mission was a great success.

>>3290782
>Fine. Look, I should just go to your superiors. I’m a ranking officer- I’ll talk this out with them instead of wasting your time. Just point me in the right direction and I’ll make myself scarce, alright?

>Write-ins
Ask Schneider how he feels about the mission
Maybe how Command feels about the mission too.
And as long as Winnifred leaves with our jacket, whether we see her off or ever again, I'm ultimately satisfied.

>>3290955
>So back to Richter soon after the epilogue?

No then it's time for Marinenpanzer.
...Yes, back to Richter. Where Reinhold has just left an active war in Halmeggia, Richter has been becoming familiar with the ashes of another, in the occupied country of Ellowie, where Netilland and Twaryi seemingly set aside bitter intercontinental rivalries to deal with their common enemy.

A strange homecoming of sorts for his blood and that of another- Richter is of Netillian descent, and while Anya was born in Sosaldt, her mother was of Ellowie.

>>3290926
Do one's best to goose the spook before she vanishes! Whether this plan is successful or not, at least try.

>>3290990
That is not known yet; but the fate of the Luftpanzer Project will indeed be part of the general epilogue. The Reich has had plenty of successful airborne operations, but this is the very first airborne operation with armor, in...well, this world's history. The project coordinators were quite nervous concerning this operation's success, but how much of a political victory it was would depend on what is considered a victory; that elite troops were able to pull out of a bad situation is to be expected, after all. But the project was quite expensive and there are more than a few who would like to see a redistribution of resources.

That said the unit did not suffer beyond what would be reasonably expected in casualties. Men died and were wounded, but the unit is intact nevertheless.

>>3291484
>Can we hide the Grimoire before turning ourself in?

Yes.

>There must be some secret compartment like some space in the armour? Or behind shell in the ammo rack? Inside the engine block?

A Luftpanzer is a very cramped vehicle, and the Grimoire is a big ass book. However, creativity and necessity may meet to perform miracles, and Reinhold does know his vehicles well enough to make a good attempt.

>>3291889
Catch up with Schneider, catch up with the Colonel, keep heterochromic girls warm.

Lingering attachment in spite of all of Winnifred's efforts to warn you otherwise.

Of course, requests for ground to be covered are still open for what little time is left in this thread's life. I'll start up the Epilogue thread...tomorrow.

As for action to actually take, clearly, you'd like to stop bothering this enlisted man as much as he seems to want you to stop, so an attempt to point this out and reach a mutual agreement will be made.