Lone Wolf, Wild Fox

[Autodidact_33]

Lone Wolf and Wild Fox

by Matthew Bissonnette

and John Windsor






Prologue: The Conquest of Earth




In August, 1939, Europe is on the verge of war. Nazi Germany, under the iron rule of Adolph Hitler, as already annexed Austria and several other small European countries. Britain and France, their people fearing another great war, have not protested this military conquest. Diplomats of Germany and the Soviet Union meet secretly and sign a treaty which would later be known as the Unholy Alliance. Hitler and Stalin have agreed to put aside their political differences and divide Europe between them, the nations which consist the Axis powers are now Imperial Japan, Mussolini's Italy, Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. As all the military commanders of this alliance meet, they agree that the United States must not enter the war since their industrial might could prove to be a threat to Axis's ambitions to conquer the world. The gestapo abducts Elbert Einstein and forces him to build Germany the ultimate weapon which will ensure victory.
By the end of 1940, Germany has annexed France and Spain and is poised to invade Britain. The Soviet Union and Japan, dropping their prior territorial disputes, have already crushed Nationalist China. Italy armies as well as the German Rommel's tank divisions occupy North Africa. Britain, now led by Churchill, stands alone against this fearsome enemy while US president Roosevelt and most Americans are reluctant to enter a foreign war and adopt a policy of isolationism. Einstein, a prisoner, is working to build a bomb of unimaginable power, works with German physicists in a lab outside Berlin.
1941, the German Luftwaffe has bombed London and now the city is rubble though the British Royal Air Force puts of a valiant fight. But it is to no avail when the Germany Army launches a massive sea invasion and soon captures the entire British Isles; Churchill defiant to the end, is hung. Japan now has captured most of the Pacific and is on the verge of invading Australia. Axis, with a massive need for oil to fuel its war machine, has tasked the Soviet Union with capturing the massive oil deposits of the Middle East. Unbeknownst to the world, Einstein has created his bomb and it is secretly tested in a remote region of Germany. Hitler, upon seeing this, knows that the entire world is within his grasp. The Germany Navy has retrofitted several U-boats to carry a single V2 rocket which carries a nuclear warhead. The dictator waits for the moment to reveal his deadly weapon to the world.
1942, Axis has conquered all of Europe, most of Asia as well as the Middle East. African nations fall one after another to Rommel and it seems America is the force which could possible thwart Axis's ambitions of world domination. In June, Roosevelt declares wars on all the Axis powers. July 4, America's Birthday, a German u-boat surfaces near New York and launches its rocket. The city is destroyed and millions parish, then another rocket descends on Washington D.C., and the American government is decapitated. Hitler then makes a radio broadcast threatening to destroy every city in North America if the American's don't surrender. The American's, in a state of panic, formally declare defeat.
But as the world is gripped by war during these years, no one is aware of Hitler's final solution, the genocide of any people the Fuehrer considers to be unworthy of life, among people of the Jewish faith, the mentally ill and gypsies. Tens of millions parish as the world remains unaware of the mass killings.
1944, with no nation that could possibly appose Axis left, every country on Earth surrenders to the Axis powers. The leaders of Axis then carve the world up into different zones which is ruled by them separately. Germany rules west Europe, North and South America, and Africa, and Hitler creates the city of New Berlin outside the ruins of Washington D.C. From which he rules over his empire. The Soviet Union rules the Middle East and India, though Stalin is aware of Hitler's rabid anti-communism, he decides to work with the despot. Imperial Japan rules all of Asia and Australia, as well as the entire Pacific. Italy rules the nations of the Mediterranean, among them Greece.
By 1945, Axis has conquered the world and hostilities cease though revolts are heartlessly crushed all over the globe. But the odd man out in this global alliance is the Soviet Union, since the other fascist powers despise communism, and this alliance is uneasy.
So history passed for several decades. By the end of the twentieth century, Germany's space program, pioneered by Wernher Von Braun, has built a base on the moon. Hitler's thousand year Reich go on years after his death, his fascist empire now ruled by his daughter Adelheid, who holds onto power in a massive palace in New Berlin. While the media portrays life in this Reich as ideal, the people of North America and other German zones live under constant surveillance and any type of deviance from the societal norms is punished with death. The other zones of the Axis powers rule separately and seem content to mind their own business, and not interfere with each others dictatorships.
Our story begins in the year of 2012, as a young man in North America began to question the ruling authority.




Chapter One: Day In New Berlin




New Berlin was by this time a massive metropolis, giant sky scrapers reached up into the sky but among the towers where gigantic statues of figures from German history, the stone sculptors of the Teutonic Knights watched over the streets. Small, compact cars filled the roads during this summer morning as the citizens of the city went about their daily tasks. In the center of the city of the Palace of the Fuehrer, a massive castle made of white marble with flags showing the Swastika adorning the outer walls of the structure. Hanging above the side walks all over the city where the Info Screens, video monitors which displayed to the citizens of the city the endless propaganda of the Reich. Near the residential sector of the city where the majority of the populace lived in the large apartment complexes, two young men walked down a sidewalk towards the center of the city. Like everyone, they where wearing the simplistic gray clothes as everyone, required by official mandate.
Royce Edmond, an athletic young man with short brown hair and a prominent jaw, turned to his boyhood friend and asked with a slight British accent, “well Wolf, excited?”
Wolf Ford, also in his early twenties, was a tall, muscular man with copper hair and piercing eyes. While Royce seemed joyful and energetic, Wolf seemed more reserved and had a rather emotionless expression on his face. He just seemed to look off into the distance as they walked.
Wolf replied, “what is there to be excited about Royce? Today they will decide how we will spend the rest of our lives. The powers that be will determine what profession we are best suited for, and we will do that for the rest of our lives.”
Men in the North American Reich, soon after passing the age of twenty, where required to take the State Aptitude Test, a test which would show what job within the Reich a male was best suited for. There was no quitting an individuals chosen job, and if someone could not preform their chosen task would be labeled Inferior, which was a death sentence.
Royce grinned as he walked, “come on, we both are strong young men, we'll either be assigned to the armed services or some other occupation for guys like us.”
Wolf frowned. “I'm hoping for a job as either a factory laborer or a farm laborer.”
Royce laughed. “Well, I'm hoping for Luftwaffe myself, guys who fly up their in space get all the women.”
Wolf looked up at a Info Screen hanging ominously above him. It showed the face of Adelheid Hitler as she gave her daily speech to the people of New Berlin.
The flickering image of a blonde woman in her early fifties spoke. “People of New Berlin, now that I and the state are your parents who watch over you. We all must do are part to add to the glory of the Reich, do you part and you will enjoy the rewards of your labor. But be vigilant, for the Reich is threatened both by Inferiors and Sub Humans, those whose mere existence threaten our glorious empire. Report anyone who does not conform to the gestapo, and you will be rewarded with financial compensation. Now that I as your Fuehrer love you like a ever watchful mother.”
Wolf stopped and looked up a the Info Screen, he grimaced and said, “a ever loving mother who has any of her children who doe not measure up put to death.”
Royce looked back at him. “Wolf, we've been friends since we where in diapers, one of these days your aversion to authority figures is going to get you hurt.”
They both began to continue walking. Wolf explained, “the gestapo has eyes and ears everywhere, Royce. You can't even trust your friends these days.”
“Do you trust me Wolf?”
Wolf nodded. “You are the only person I trust. Trust is a scarce commodity in this day and age.”
At the end of the street was the Ad-vocation School where they where to take their test, a single story building surrounded by small grassy lawns. A line of young men was waiting outside.
Wolf said, “where is Nelson? I haven't seen him around lately, should he not be taking the test too?”
Royce momentarily seemed sad. He responded with, “Nelson, poor little Nelson, the gestapo picked him up last week. He was determined to be Sub Human.”
Wolf seemed shocked. “We've gone to school with all our lives, the guy was harmless.”
Royce explained, “well someone reported him to the gestapo for, how can I put this, liking to have his bread buttered on the wrong side.”
“I don't understand Royce.”
“He was, you know, liked being with men and not women.”
Wolf, though never really friends with Nelson, was saddened by the news. “I wonder what they did to Nelson?”
Royce replied, “no one knows where they take you, but I'm sure he is in a better place now.”
Wolf pondered the thought that maybe it was only in the afterlife where one could be free of the Reich.
Royce then walked faster and said, “come on, let us get in line.”
Then he and Wolf joined the other young men in the line outside the school and waited.

It was around noon when Wolf and Royce left the school with their ad-vocation report, they and many young men eagerly opened the brown envelopes, inside was a sheet which would decide the rest of their lives.
Royce looked at his report then muttered, “damn it.”
Wolf asked, “what did you get Royce?”
“I have to report to gestapo headquarters tomorrow. Guess I'm going to be one of the secret police, my test says that my high I.Q., makes me suitable for that profession.”
Wolf opened his envelope and looked at his test. He read it over as Royce looked on.
“So, what did you get,” Royce asked.
Wolf replied, “I have to report to the hydroponic farms tomorrow, says my tests indicates that I'm only suited for manual labor.”
“Well buddy, you got what you wanted.”
Wolf looked at his friend and asked, “Royce, now that you are the member of New Berlin's gestapo, will I have to choose my words carefully with you? Will you report me?”
Royce slapped Wolf on the shoulder and replied, “you get the friend of Royce pass, which means I will never inform on you.”
Wolf said, “doesn't mean much, after tomorrow I'll live in the agricultural zone of the city, I doubt I'll see you much.”
“Well Wolf, tonight we'll go to a Beer Hall and get drunk. Might be the last time we see each other for awhile.”
“Yeah, let's do that.”
They where about to walk away when Wolf noticed a young woman leaving the school dressed in a gray coat and skirt, which was odd since only men where tested here. She was a young woman with shoulder length, fiery red hair with a white streak and a petite figure. She had pale skin and very deep, blue eyes which seemed to be glaring at the ground. She seemed to be walking quickly.
Upon seeing her, Wolf muttered, “Lilia.”
As she passed him, Wolf reached out and tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around and looked at him and, speaking with a slight Russian accent, asked, “what do you want?”
Wolf softly said, “Lilia, its me, Wolf.”
She then looked into his eyes and briefly smiled. “Wolf, I can't believe its you. Its been almost seven years.”
He asked, “I thought your family and returned to the Soviet Zone in east Europe.”
Lilia then turned away from him and began to walk down the street. She said as she left, “I'm back now. Hope we meet again Wolf.”
Royce then began to laugh slightly and said, “is that not that Russian tart you where in love with in school?”
“Yeah, but I thought I would never see her again.”
Royce told Wolf, “listen, there is only one thing lower here then an Inferior or Sub Human, and that's a commie. The authorities just tolerate them because they don't want a war with the Soviet Zone.”
Wolf said, “well, she is really not political, I think she,”
He was stopped mid sentence when the front doors of the school where ripped from their hinges and thrown through the air as a massive fireball bellowed out from inside, the powerful explosion knocking both Wolf and Royce off their feet. As they lay on their backs, they watched as the school was now engulfed in flames, all its windows shattered and debris everywhere.
Royce slowly got up onto his feet and said, “what the hell is going on?”
Wolf, still laying upon the cement sidewalk, looked at the burning building and muttered, “must be some rebel group.”
Royce shook his head. “This is New Berlin, the safest city in the Reich.”
As the sirens of ambulances and the black vans of the gestapo blared in the distance, Wolf grimly stated, “I guess New Berlin isn't safe anymore.”



































Chapter Two: Wolf and Lilia




Night descended on the residential sector, amongst the faceless apartment complexes was the Beer Hall where people went to drink and enjoy themselves. The Beer Hall was a large, cathedral like building and laughter and voices echoed out from within.
Inside was a giant room which could fit thousands. Long tables crossed the room which people sat at as they drank from large mugs of beer, countless citizens of New Berlin sang and got drunk. Life in the Reich was harsh and the beer hall was one of the few reliefs the authorities allowed. Over the room was a huge Info Screen that was now blank. As the people engaged in merriment, Wolf and Royce sat at one end of a table and drank.
Royce picked up his mug of beer and said, “OK, old friend, let's toast to our futures.”
Wolf picked up his mugged and toasted. He stated, “yes, to our futures.”
Royce looked at Wolf's somewhat somber expression and asked, “what is bothering you?”
Wolf shook his head. “It's nothing.”
Royce began to snicker. “It is Lilia isn't it.”
“I do not want to talk about it Royce.”
“OK,” Royce said, “but be careful. With that bomb at the school today, the authorities are going to be cracking down on every group they think might be subversive. I'm sure the soviets will be near the top of the list.”
Wolf looked at Royce and asked, “do you think she had something to do with it?”
“No way, you know how all women are these days, content to make new citizens and tend to the home. I doubt she is involved.”
Then the Info Screen over the room showed the face of Adelheid and she spoke firmly, everyone stopped talking and looked up.
“Today in New Berlin, several explosions damaged a few government institutions and I promise quick and merciless action. For the first time in the history of New Berlin, we have a terrorist faction at large in the glorious capital of the Reich. I ask all our citizens to report anything suspicious to the gestapo, information will be rewarded. Anyone who aides these enemies will be punished severely. There is now a curfew, all citizens must be within there homes before ten o'clock. Agents of the gestapo are going to be posted in every sector. Remember, the Reich is your friend, but those whose choose to be its enemy will suffer. Good night.”
Then the image of the Fuehrer vanished and the screen was blank again. Wolf look at Royce and said, “well, I guess your going to have your hands full when you start your job tomorrow.”
Royce replied, “yeah, starting to wish I had been assigned to a farm to. Things in New Berlin are about to get paranoid, you know how it is, everyone is a suspect.”
Wolf finished his beer and got up. He told Royce, “well, I have to go home a pack since I'm moving to the farming sector tomorrow. Hope I see you soon Royce.”
Royce raised his mug and smiled. “And Wolf, watch your back. Keep your head down and you be alright.”
Wolf, as he walked away, said, “you know me, I like to keep out of trouble.”
Then the friends parted as they where about to start their new lives the next day.

Wolf, after the age of sixteen, had been assigned a small apartment. Just a small bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Single adult men where usually given smaller living quarters since the larger apartments where reserved for families. He was sitting on a small cot beside a window and a looked out it at the lights of downtown New Berlin in the distance, a suitcase with all his belongings in it at the foot of his bed. Wolf didn't have much to pack, just some clothes. In his hand was a photograph which he was not looking at. He then turned from the window and look at the picture which his fingers clutched.
It was a photograph of Lilia when she was younger. It had been years since he looked at it for before it had only reminded him that he would never see her again. Now, he wanted meet with her more then anything.
Wolf began to think about the past.

Wolf Ford's adolescence had been marked by tragedy. His mother had died from influenza just after he was born, his father began to fail at his assigned job since he was grief stricken. Then he was designated Inferior and the gestapo took him away when Wolf was three. Orphans in the Reich where assigned to families who requested more children. That is how Wolf came to live with the Edmond family, Royce's parents had immigrated from Britain since his father was an accomplished architect who help design several new buildings in New Berlin.
Life continued normally for Wolf as he grew up. Royce became like a brother, yet they could not be more different, since Royce was outgoing and had many friends while Wolf mostly kept to himself. In school Wolf received average grades, but he could tell that he was never destined for anything great. Long ago he accepted that only a mediocre life awaited.
Then he reached the age of fifteen. He was attending the Older Citizen School where the teenagers where educated, and it was there he first noticed Lilia Belova and from the first time seeing her was smitten. She was the daughter of a soviet diplomat who had been assigned a post in New Berlin, though the other students never bothered to hide their disdain for the Russian girl. Like Wolf, she kept to herself and did not talk to the other students. Many times during class, Wolf would quickly glance at her yet could not bring himself to approach her. They might have never spoken had it not been for the events of one particular day.
School let out and Wolf left the building, he was walking through the grassy field behind the school where the athletic games where held. He found Lilia in the middle of the field surrounded by her male classmates. They knocked her school books from her hands and called her a commie whore, then one of the boys knocked her to the ground. He then raised his fist, ready to strike her.
Wolf, driven to do something, ran into the boy and knocked him over as Lilia watched. The other students in the group tried to fight Wolf, but even then he was big and strong, and he beat them off. Finally they all ran away while Wolf looked down at Lilia. She seemed upset and did not look at him, she got up and said that she didn't need help from some Reich stooge. Wolf picked up her books and handed them to her, he told her that he was not like the other students. Though at first she seemed reluctant to associate with him, she finally thanked him for the help.
Over the next few years Wolf and Lilia grew closer. He became her protector, the other student's didn't bother Lilia when he was around and they spent much time together. Though from the beginning Wolf could tell that she had a lot of contempt for the Reich, also she seemed to try and distance herself from him. She told him many times that they where just friends, and that they could never be anything else. Wolf though, had long before fallen in love with her but his nature never let him tell her. Finally one day, he went to the apartment where her family lived and was going to tell her everything.
When he knocked on the door she opened it and stood there, she seemed sad and on the verge of tears. She told him that her father had been recalled to the Soviet Zone and that she would have to leave, never to return. Wolf, to stubborn to admit that he was devastated, simply said goodbye. But before she closed the door she suddenly kissed then said he would always be her Lone Wolf, and she said she knew that he would always protector.
Wolf, afterward, never felt as alone as he did then. He came to the realization that Lilia was the only thing in life that mattered to him. Now that she was gone, it felt like there was no point to going on.
Wolf spent the next years alone aside for his foster brother Royce. As he grew older, he tried to forget Lilia and go on with his life; over time he began to put away her memory.
Until today.

Wolf looked at Lilia's picture then sighed heavily. Tomorrow he would start the job he would do for the rest of his life, at up till that moment he wanted nothing else then to live a quiet, dull existence. But now, he wanted to see her more then anything else.
He lay down in bed and fell asleep, his last thought before slumber though was of Lilia.


Chapter Three: Wolf's Precarious Position






September in New Berlin. It was a warm autumn the day Wolf was called into the office of his manager Farm Tower Eight. To the northern end of the city was where the hydroponic farms where located in the agriculture district. Within giant cylinder like buildings which reached far up into the sky, gigantic vegetable crops where grown without the need for soil. The glass shell of the towers revealed the abundance of plant life inside. Within these farms, New Berlin could grow all the food they needed to sustain themselves.
Wolf sat in a chair his manager's office, the manager sat behind his desk and seemed to be sizing Wolf up. The office was on the top floor of the tower and a window to the south showed New Berlin miles away.
His manager, a slightly obese man with a thinning hairline name Mr. White, asked, “well Mr. Ford, do you know why I called you here?”
Wolf replied, “I'm sure you are about to tell me.”
Mr. White explained, “you have been here two months, and I am beginning to have concerns about you.”
Wolf frowned. “I meet my quota every day, I show up to work on time, I do my job as required.”
Mr. White swiveled around in his chair and looked out the window, his back to Wolf. The manager said, “I'm not questioning your competence, I question though if you truly are suited for this job.”
“What do you mean?”
Mr. White snorted then said, “To be honest, here in the agricultural sector, we don't get assigned the Reich's best or brightest. Honestly, we get the people who aren't suited for anything better. You do your job, but some of your fellow farmers here in Tower Eight say that you are a reclusive man who makes no attempt to get to know his fellow workers.”
Wolf looked to the floor. “I guess I'm not a sociable guy. But I will do what's required of me.”
Mr. White turned and was looking at Wolf again, he said, “Ford, some of your fellow workers say that they are uncomfortable working with you. You seem to not fit in here as a farm laborer.”
Wolf looked his his manager and said, “I was assigned this job, I really don't have any options.”
Mr. White told Wolf, “maybe in youth, the Reich can forgive someone who doesn't try to conform and fit in. But now that you are an adult, you must know that the system will now be much harder on people who don't try to get in line. I don't care if you meet quota Ford, if I fire you there are thousands ready to take your place.”
Wolf became concerned and raised his voice. “If you do that, I will be registered as an Inferior.”
Mr. White smiled. “Yes, and you know what happens then. You'll disappear, never to be seen again. During my time in this position, I have had dozens fired. One of the perks of the job.”
Wolf pleaded mutely, “give me one more chance, please.”
Mr. White nodded then said, “I'll give you a week to become a well oiled cog in the machine of Tower Eight. Try to fraternize with your fellow workers, make a effort to fit in. If you don't, expect the gestapo to knock on your door soon.”
Wolf said to the manager, “I will try to fit in better.”
But even as he said it, Wolf knew that it was a lie. All his life he felt like he had never been able to fit in anywhere. He was content with occupying the lowest rung of the social ladder in the Reich, but now he realized that he might not be able to do that. He came to the realization that soon he would be a Inferior and thus denied the right to live.
Mr. White ordered, “now get up and go tend to your crop. You have a week, you better shape up Ford.”
Wolf got up. “Thank you Mr. White.”
As Wolf left the office, he felt unsure about what the future would bring.

Night.
Wolf had been assigned a small living domicile in the agricultural sector. Between the towers where thousands of small, plastic cubes which served as the living quarters of the farm laborers. Inside was just one room with a stove, toilet, refrigerator, bed as well as a small shower to bath in. The walls where sterile white and the whole room seemed rather antiseptic.
Wolf lay in his bed, looking at the picture of Lilia. He was worried that soon he would be dealt with, the same way as all non conformists. They would come for him in the night, no one knew what happened next, but everyone knew that soon after you would be dead. But at that moment, he wanted to speak with Lilia more then anything. But New Berlin was a city of over twenty million people, finding a single person seemed like a fruitless task.
But Wolf suddenly thought of how he might find her. He did not know what his future held for him, but he decided if this was possibly the end for him, then he would speak to Lilia once more.

The headquarters of the New Berlin gestapo was a glass office building near the city center, a few blocks from the Fuehrer's palace. It was Sunday, the only day of the week the laborers of the city had off from work; the only ones who worked this day where the agents of the gestapo.
Inside where offices, as well as the holding cells in the basement. On the first floor was the small office of Royce Edmond. He sat at his desk, wearing the black uniform of the gestapo; a prominent swastika on the chest. On the desk was a computer which was unused. He was reading reports, and did not notice as Wolf walked in.
Wolf asked, “Royce, got a minute?”
Royce, startled, looked up; but upon seeing Wolf and smiled and said, “of course I have a minute, where practically brothers aren't we?”
Wolf approached the desk then looked around the room. “I thought you would have a nicer office.”
“I'm knew, but already I got a reputation here, they say I'm headed for bigger things if I play my cards right. How is life in farmer trade?”
Wolf replied, “going as well as can be expected.”
“Well, so what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“Royce,” Wolf said, “I need your help.”
“I'm always happy to help. What do you need?”
Wolf explained, “I want to see Lilia. I was hoping you could help me find her.”
Royce grimaced. “Wolf, what makes you think I could help you find her?”
“Royce, no one comes in or out of New Berlin without the gestapo knowing. She must of filed a travel permit before coming here, you can't go anywhere without one. Could you just check the files and see if you can find anything.”
Royce leaned back in his chair. “I'll do it Wolf, but only because we are close. But a friendly warning, ever since those bombings the gestapo has been tightening security all over the city. I know you have a thing for Lilia, but she is a Russian, with all this going on associating with a Red might get you into hot water. I don't want you to end up in some mess that I won't be able to bust you out off.”
Wolf told Royce, “I just want to talk with her, that is it.”
Royce then started punching keys on the computer's keyboard but muttered as he typed, “over nine million women in this city, and you happen to have a thing for some Soviet dame.”
Wolf slightly smiled. “Royce, this is not the first time I've been in your debt.”
Royce then looked at the computer monitor. “She filed a travel permit in May, she left Leningrad had listed her residence in district zero. Seems the Reich approved the permit because she is supposed to work as a interpreter for some government department. I print out the address.”
Wolf nodded. “OK, I appreciate it.”
Royce then looked directly at Wolf. “Be careful, if she is involved in this terrorist situation, promise that you'll tell me.”
Wolf said, “I know her, she would never be involved in something like that.”
Royce laughed. “You have not seen her in years, who knows what happened to her in the Soviet Zone. Just be bloody careful.”
Royce handed Wolf a sheet with Lilia's address on it. Wolf turned to leave but said before going out the door, “thanks Royce.”
“Anytime Wolf.”

 

[Autodidact_33]

Chapter Four: Reunion







As night fell over New Berlin, Wolf got of a bus in the heart of sector zero. This sector was on the outskirts of the city, and it was where foreigners from different zones where housed. Though most of the city was clean and modern, sector zero consisted of dilapidated tenement buildings and small shops. This part of the city was also somewhat of the Red Light District, though crime was practically non-existent in most of New Berlin, the Gestapo did not act in this sector unless absolutely necessary since most of its residents where citizens of different zones of the Axis powers and where protected somewhat by laws. Drugs, crime and prostitution where common; as in sector zero was the only place in the city where it could thrive.
Wolf walked several blocks until he found the tenement where Lilia had listed her address. He looked at the gloomy, decrepit building; but readied and walked up the stone stairs and entered. Even at that moment, he had no idea what he would tell Lilia when he saw her.
On the third floor, after ascending a stairwell having to pass several drug addicts on the steps, Wolf stood outside the door of her apartment. He waited awhile before knocking, since he felt unsure if she would want to see him. He let out a deep sign then knocked on the door.
Beyond the door he could hear the sound of running water, it sounded like a shower being run. He knocked again and the noise stop and a woman's voice echoed out from inside.
“I'll be right there.”
Wolf felt nervous upon hearing her voice, the feeling grew as footsteps approached the door from the other side. Then the door opened and there she stood, Lilia was covered only by a white towel wrapped around her torso, her hair wet and she seemed somewhat suspicious. But when she saw that it was Wolf, her expression went blank and she simply stared at him.
Wolf muttered, “Lilia, it is good to see you.”
Lilia seemed unable to speak for a moment but then said, “Wolf, what are you doing here?”
Wolf looked away from her eyes as he spoke. “I just figured, since we where friends once, that maybe we should speak.”
Lilia leaned out the doorway and looked around the hallway to see if anyone else was with him. She asked, “are you alone?”
Wolf nodded. “Yeah, I here by myself.”
Lilia then walked into the apartment but left the door open. She said, “come inside if you want.”
Wolf went in, closing the door behind him. Her apartment was small, only a bedroom and tiny kitchenette as well as a door to a bathroom. The wallpaper was peeling off, though there where some pictures of people who Wolf did not know.
Lilia sat on her small bed and said, “what do you want?”
Wolf stood across the room from her as he spoke. “You know me, I don't have many friends, and when you where back in New Berlin I thought we should speak.”
Lilia looked at Wolf. “I would have come to see you, but I thought you would have been married or something by now.”
“No, I'm still single.”
She asked, “so, how are things going for you?”
Wolf told a misleading story. “I've just been assigned to the agricultural sector, I actually am doing well at my new job.”
“Good,” Lilia said, “hope things are working out for you. If you don't mind my asking, how on earth did you find me?”
He confessed. “You know my friend Royce, he got assigned to the gestapo. He found your address for me.”
Lilia, for a brief moment, seemed worried but then looked composed again. “Royce, I thought he would have more sense then to be a thug for the Reich.”
Wolf told her, “you know how it is here, once they determine your ideal place of employment, you can't refuse.”
Lilia seemed somewhat melancholy. “It's not much different in the Soviet Zone, or any place else on this planet. The authorities breathing down your neck, controlling every aspect of your life. Never allowed to know a moments freedom.”
Wolf had only heard the word freedom a few times, there where certain words in the Reich which where discouraged from being spoken. He did not really know what it meant.
Wolf asked, “so, how has life been for you since we last met.”
Lilia looked away. “In the Soviet Zone, they don't kill you secretly, they just sentence you to a life of hard labor in Siberia. Both my parents where sent there when some KGB bureaucrats questioned their loyalty.”
Lilia stood up as Wolf said, “I'm sorry, that must be difficult for you to cope with.”
Lilia then went to some clothes on the floor and turned to Wolf. She asked, “would you mind not looking as I get dressed?”
Wolf nodded and looked away. As she got changed, he said, “why did you come back to New Berlin anyways?”
“Times are tough in Russia,” she said as she removed her towel, “food shortages, amongst other things. A friend of my fathers got me a job here as a translator. Though this city is just as oppressive as Leningrad, at least you can be sure of your next meal.”
Wolf then glanced over his shoulder when Lilia's turned away from him. She was naked and he noticed that a tattoo ran up her spine, a depiction of a fox. He looked away again and she got dressed.
She was now fully clothed and she said, “OK, you can turn around.”
He faced her. “Lilia, I'm glad your back.”
She then seemed sorrowful as she explained, “Wolf, I like you and I'll always remember how you watched over me, but things have changed. We're not kids anymore.”
Wolf looked at her for a moment then said, “you know me well enough to know I don't connect with other people. Aside from Royce, your the only friend I've ever had.”
Lilia smiled briefly. “I'm not a fool Wolf, I know that you where in love with me.”
Wolf then decided to be honest. “I still am Lilia, and I always will.”
She took a step towards him. “I care about you, but knowing me could be dangerous for you.”
He asked, “did you have something to do with the bombing at the school?”
She then turned from him and replied, “do you really want to know?”
“But why, why a school.”
She told him, “the Reich, like every other zone in this world, they don't tell you everything. Did you know that people who score low on the test are secretly murdered. Why should a institution that sentences people to their death expect be do so safely. How many thousands does the authorities have killed every month?”
He said, “it is the world we live in, we have to accept it.”
“Wolf, I know you well enough to know that you want to keep to yourself and be left in peace. That is why we can't see each other ever again, I want to protect you like you once protected me.”
He shook his head. “Lilia, there is nothing you can do which would make me not want to see you. I don't care what your involved in, it does not matter to me.”
She looked back at him and looked into his eyes. “Do you remember the history they taught in school?”
Wolf reflected upon her question. While students where taught subjects every day like math and English, only once did his teachers speak of history. During one hour he was taught that before Axis brought order to the world, the Earth was in chaos and anarchy. That history before the last great war was to be forgotten as stories of a planet in disorder.
Wolf asked, “why do you ask?”
She replied, “they lied to us, while I've been away I learned the true history of the world. That once, in some places, laws where created to protect citizens from abuses of power by the authorities instead of laws made to keep citizens subservient to the state. In some place once, people to say and think what ever they wanted and these rights where protected. That is partly what freedom means Wolf, maybe you don't want this world to change, but I do.”
Wolf grew more concerned. “Lilia, I know what the Reich does to people who resist, I don't want to see you hurt.”
Lilia then approached him and put her hand on his cheek. “Wolf, I don't need you to protect me anymore. Maybe you don't want to fight this evil which has oppressed our entire world, but after my parents where taken from me, I vowed that I would give my life to change things. The people who rule this planet hurt and kill countless people, I think it is time that they answer for their crimes.”
Wolf asked, “what have you gotten yourself involved in Lilia?”
Lilia frowned and replied, “I can't tell you, because I don't want to see you hurt either. Wolf, I loved you to, that is why I have to ask you to leave a forget about me. I have to ask you to never meet with me again, because you just want to live in peace and I respect that.”
“Lilia, you can't fight the entire world.”
Lilia said, “I'm not alone, no go and never come back.”
Though Wolf's expression did not betray how he felt, but inside he was devastated. He realized that she was the only thing that mattered to him, but now she was asking him to leave her forever.
Lilia then kissed him and whispered, “Wolf, if you love me, you'll do as I ask.”
He then looked into her eyes and said, “OK, I go. Please Lilia, be careful.”
Lilia then walked away from him and muttered, “Wolf, find what happiness this world will allow you to have.”
He was about to leave but said to her, “Lilia, I'll respect your wishes. But if you ever need my help, I live in housing unit seven nine one in the agricultural sector. I won't come back, but please know that anytime you need me I'll be there for you.”
She nodded and replied, “Wolf, you may be a rather lonely person, but you are also very sweet.”
“Goodbye Lilia.”
“Goodbye again my Lone Wolf.”
He then left her apartment as his heart broke.

Once outside, Wolf walked slowly down the hallway towards the stairs. But he noticed an a tall, well built Asian man leaning against the wall. He seemed to be staring at Wolf, but he was to sad to notice. After Wolf passed him and descended down the stairs at the end of the hall, the man then went to Lilia's door and knocked. When the door open and she looked out, he grinned.
He asked, “Are you Wild Fox?”
She replied, “yes. What is your code name?”
He responded with, “Swift Rabbit, though people also know me as Katsumi.”
She stepped away from the door and said, “please come in.”
He entered her apartment and closed the door behind him. Once inside they seemed to size each other up.
Lilia asked, “why are you called Swift Rabbit?”
Katsumi told her, “because I can swiftly escape any bad situation I find myself in. I hear they call you Wild Fox because they say you are hard to control and a very wild woman.”
Lilia nodded. “Well, I have been very active with the resistance cell in the Soviet Zone. Some people accuse me of being a little to single minded when it comes to this fight.”
He grinned and said, “well, the most useful members of the cells in the other zones have arrived in the city. We are going to meet tonight in the ruins of the old city outside New Berlin. From what I'm told, we have a real group of fighters ready to start this revolution.”
She asked, “was it easy to get a travel permit from Japan?”
“No problem, while I'm the leader of the Asian cell secretly, publicly I'm an upstanding fascist. I have been told that you took it upon yourself to bomb several State Institutions a few months ago, you know that we wanted to wait before revealing the existence of the resistance until we where ready.”
Lilia frowned and said, “I could not wait for the other cell leaders to arrive in New Berlin, I wanted action.”
He laughed. “I understand, but I see why you are code named Wild Fox, I doubt anyone can tame you. I'm sure your actions will have the gestapo on high alert, but you did what you felt was right. But now that every resistance cell has their best assets here in New Berlin, now will will strike Axis at its core. They have spilled the blood of countless millions, but now it is time for them to bleed.”
Lilia asked, “what is the plan?”
Katsumi replied, “I won't tell you know. That will be revealed when we meat in the ruins of the old city. A car waits for us outside.”
Lilia then grabbed her coat and said, “then let us go.”
She and Katsumi left he apartment to meet with the other leaders of the resistance.


















Chapter Five: The Resistance Meets






Many miles beyond the limits of New Berlin where the ruins of what once had been a prosperous capital, now it was a wasteland of destroyed buildings which where irradiated and now was a wasteland which the citizens of the Reich avoided out of fear of the radiation and the orders of the authorities to stay away from this place. In the center of the city nothing remained but blasted rubble but on the outer regions of the city some of the structures remained. A crescent moon hung over this place and bathed it with a surreal light.
A van drove down an old road, headed deeper into the city. Though the place this vehicle approached which once was home to giant monuments to men erased from history, now only ruins remained. But one monument was fortunate enough to remain mostly standing, a large circular dome made of white stone inside which was the statue of a man who no one remembered. The van came to a stop outside the monument and Lilia and Katsumi got out.
Outside the domed building where several dozen men and women, members of resistance cells from all over the planet and they where a mix of many different ethnic groups. They where the best and most useful soldiers of the resistance who had come here to begin a revolution.
Katsumi looked at the group and muttered to Lilia, “damn, I hoped we would have more people. We better meet with the resistance leaders inside. I'm sure our global leader will finally reveal the plan.”
They both walked through the gathered people and entered the monument. Inside a large bronze statue of a man overlooked the proceedings. Katsumi and Lilia and found four men waiting for them. There was a tall, slim black man who had a scar running down his left cheek. There was a shorter Arab man with a thick beard and a grim, joyless
expression on his face. Also there was a large Caucasian man who seemed relaxed and composed. The last of the leaders was man who appeared to be from India, he sat upon the ground and seemed distant. Once they saw Lilia and Katsumi they introduced themselves.
Katsumi said, “well, let us get to know each other. But it would be best if we only used our code names from now on. I'm Swift Rabbit, leader of the Asian resistance.”
The black man nodded at him. “They call me Stalking Lion, I lead the resistance in Africa.”
The rather serious Arab man spoke next. “I have been given the name Venomous Cobra, I lead the cell in the Middle East.”
They calm looking white man grinned and then spoke, he had a Australian accent. “Well me mates call me Jumping Kangaroo, though I must admit I don't like the name much. I lead the rebellion in Australia. Though up till now we have only talked, no action yet.”
Katsumi nodded. “Don't worry Kangaroo, soon you get all the action you want.”
The Indian man then stood up and said, “Wise Elephant. I lead the resistance in India.”
Lilia then spoke. “Wild Fox. Leader of the cell in Russia.”
All the men aside from Katsumi looked at her, they where all much older. Venomous Cobra seemed to look at her with disdain.
Jumping Kangaroo joked, “you lead a cell lady, you seem barely old enough to drive.”
Katsumi said, “she is young, but from what I hear, she is tenacious and the only one of us who has seen any action.”
Wise Elephant asked, “why is she active when the global leader, after organizing all the cells together, ordered us to wait before beginning the revolution. She fights while we have been only organizing.”
Katsumi said to him, “that's why they call her Wild Fox. Besides, we need someone who knows how to act and not just talk.”
Venomous Cobra then glared at her. “I don't really want this soviet woman here.”
Katsumi asked, “problem Cobra?”
He replied, “my people have been mercilessly ruled over by the soviets for longer then I care to remember and I don't trust her.”
Lilia firmly told him, “listen, I am not going to rest until every Axis Zone is ground into dust, including the soviets. I have spent the past five years carrying out actions against soviet oppressors all over Russia.”
Stalking Lion smiled. “I like her, she seems like she hates Axis to the core, and hate can be a valuable trait in this revolution.”
Jumping Kangaroo laughed slightly. “We are all friends here mates.”
Katsumi looked around. “Where is our leader, I have waited many years to meet this Bright Star again.”
Wise Elephant asked, “I don't know anything about this leader, why do we follow this mysterious persons orders?”
Katsumi replied, “I have met with her. Trust me, she is smart and also committed to destroying Axis.”
Venomous Cobra seemed shocked. “Our leader is a woman?”
Then a voice from behind the statue spoke, a weak woman's voice with a German accent. “Yes, but I will give you all what you seek, victory.”
A elderly white woman who must have been in her eighties stepped out from behind the statue. Her face was wrinkled yet her eyes seemed vibrant, there was a tattoo of a six pointed star over her left eye.
Katsumi said, “good to see you again Star, I know moving around is difficult for you.”
Bright Star looked at him. “Swift Rabbit, I have been hiding from Axis since before all of you where born. And I know the history of the world before Axis had it erased. In that time, I have learned to get around.”
Venomous Cobra seemed unimpressed. “Sorry, but we are going to follow the orders of a old woman. You might have learned some things, but how can you help us defeat Axis.”
Bright Star told him, “do as I say and we will bring New Berlin to its knees.”
Venomous Cobra seemed impressed by the conviction in her voice.
She continued. “My people where one of the first the Reich secretly had exterminated. When I was a child, there where tens of millions of us, now I fear only I remain. But on the graves of those I loved who perished in the camps, I will end the Reich and all of Axis.”
Wise Elephant asked, “forgive my doubt, but we don't even have fifty people here. New Berlin had thousands of gestapo, how can we possibly prevail.”
Bright Star explained, “because there are over twenty million citizens in that city who had lived under tyranny all their lives. When we show them that the Reich is not invincible, they will join us in this revolution. And once open revolt overthrows the strongest city of Axis, the world will join us. For those who live under oppression are billions, where oppressors are much fewer.”
Katsumi asked, “OK, where do we start?”
Bright Star revealed the first phase of the plan. “First we must strike at the symbols of the Reich, a symbolic act. The entire city is full of those statues which the Reich worship, tomorrow night, we will destroy as many of them as we can.”
Stalking Lion seemed doubtful. “We'll need explosives, and a lot of them.”
Lilia spoke up. “I have made connections with a criminal group who run sector zero. If we give them money, they will provide us with all the weapons we need.”
Bright Star looked at her. “You must be Wild Fox, you acted before ordered.”
Lilia looked right back at her. “You might know much, but I'm the only one here who has done something other then talk.”
Katsumi spoke up. “What is done is done. Now for money, fortunately I am a man who has access to a fortune, tomorrow Fox; you will get the explosives we need.”
Bright Star said, “You'll will work in teams of two.”
Katsumi replied, “the gestapo is patrolling the city in force. It won't be easy.”
Lilia said, “we will start this fight, damn any thugs of the Reich.”
Wise Elephant asked, “but what about the gestapo?”
Bright Star told him, “leave that to me.”
Stalking Lion nodded. “OK, the revolution starts tomorrow.”
Bright Star then said, “but remember, we can only win if the people join our cause. I want all of your promises that every precaution will be taken so that no citizen is hurt needlessly. But you all may hunger for revenge as I, and we will send many servants of the Reich to their demise. But the people are not to be hurt.”
Katsumi said, “OK, our plan to liberate the Earth begins.”
Bright Star turned and began to walk away but said before vanishing into the night, “we will bring freedom to this world, and won't stop till every single person on this planet is liberated from Axis.”
Then she was gone and they all dispersed.



































Chapter Six: The Doctor Makes a House Call









It was later in the morning of Monday as Wolf sat on his small bed in his domicile, his stomach in knots. Though he should have been at work, he had been woken up by the telephone. It was a member of New Berlin's Board of Public Health who informed him that a doctor was coming to see him, doctors in the Reich where more concerned with eliminating people from the gene pool who they considered to be of inferior genetics rather then healing the sick. Though it was not as bad as a visit from the gestapo, but Wolf worried still. He just looked at the door and waited, unsure of what would happen.
The knock came around noon. Wolf slowly got up and went to the door, once he opened it he found an older, skinny, bald man with glasses and wearing a white lab coat. The doctor looked at him, something in his eyes seemed cold.
The doctor asked, “may I come in Mr. Ford?”
Wolf went back to his bed and sat as the doctor stood in the center of the single room, and looked at a chart he carried in his hands. Are a moment of silence, the man in the white lab coat said, “seems that the Board of Public Genetic Health was notified by your work manager, a Mr. White, that you may possibly be of undesirable genetics.”
Wolf was angry but he tried not to show it, his manager had promised him a week but it seemed that he lied.
Wolf asked, “why would he think that?”
The doctor looked at Wolf. “Well, we would not make a decision solely on one complaint. But we researched your family as well as your school records, and we found some distressing patterns. Seems that you may be a non-conformist, your school records indicated that you where not able to integrate with your peers and that you did poorly academically. Individuals who are unable conform, who can't be a active member of society are something the Reich can't tolerate.”
Wolf said, “is it a crime to keep to yourself?”
“We do frown on socially incompetents. We also discovered that your father had been classified as an Inferior before he was taken away. You display socially troubled behavior as well as having the genes of an inferior.”
Wolf frowned. “So why did they send you and not the gestapo?”
The doctor replied, “Mr. White did you are a competent laborer, so you have been spared classification as an Inferior. But the Board of Public Genetic Health has decided that it is best that your genes be removed from the gene pool. You may continue to work, but the Reich will ensure that you never procreate.”
Wolf felt angered but contained it. He asked, “so I'm going to be sterilized?”
The doctor frowned and shook his head. “We prefer the term corrective genetic surgery.”
“Wait,” Wolf said, “is there anyway to appeal this decision?”
“No Mr. Ford, I'm afraid there is nothing you can do. Please see it our way, where are simply protecting the health of our Reich but stopping people with undesirable genes from procreating.”
Wolf was silent, for he knew that there was nothing he could do.
The doctor explained, “tomorrow the gestapo will pick you up and bring you to the hospital for the operation. Be thankful, at least you may live.”
Wolf muttered, “thank you.”
“Now,” the doctor said, “till tomorrow you will be under house arrest, your home's security measures have been activated. If you go outside, the gestapo will know and will have orders to detain you and you will meet a far harsher fate.”
Wolf then bluntly replied, “OK, now can you get out of my house.”
The doctor shook his head. “You should appreciate that the Reich was merciful.”
“Please go.”
The doctor said nothing as he left Wolf's home. After he was gone Wolf got up and went to a wall, angered and feeling helpless. He then punched the wall and yelled, “bastards!”





















Chapter Seven: Royce's Promotion






It was early in the day as Royce sat at his desk, viewing information on his computer's monitor. Entry level members of the gestapo did clerical duties, reviewing financial irregularities in citizens records. After a couple of years he could expect to work on the streets as they called themselves, street enforcer. Yet unlike most among his novice level gestapo agents, he did not look forward to a promotion because he did not have the harsh, pitiless mentality that every gestapo agent he had ever met before displayed. But when there was a knock on, he was about to receive something more then a promotion.
Royce looked up from his computer and said loudly, “come in.”
The door swung open and a middle aged man of generous girth and had neatly combed dark hair walked into the office. Royce got up from his chair, for the man was dressed in a black gestapo uniform with a gold iron cross badge, the symbol of the head of the whole gestapo in New Berlin.
Royce said, “Mr. Hill. What would you like?”
The man smiled and asked, “straight to the point Mr. Edmond, I like it. So, how have you enjoyed your first few months in the gestapo?”
Royce replied, “they have been interesting. Would you please have a seat?”
They both sat.
Hill said, “you have been here only since July, and already people are talking.”
Royce was momentarily anxious, unsure what Hill was implying. He asked, “talking how?”
Hill simple to chuckle heartily and said, “they have been saying saying that unless novice recruits, you are actually sociable and easy going. You know, the public face face of the gestapo must necessarily be harsh; sometimes our public image needs to be softer and more relate-able to the citizens. I'll tell you a trade secret in the gestapo though, most of the men we employ are utter bastards.”
Royce sighed. “Honestly, I think I was assigned the wrong job.”
Hill asked, “and what job did you want?”
Royce replied, “a pilot in the Luftwaffe.”
Hill nodded. “Most young men dream of adventures in space. But that job doesn't pay very well. I am here to make a proposal, one that could be very lucrative and financially rewarding.”
“What proposal?”
Hill explained, “a promotion. A secret promotion, which can make your career. If I am pleased, you will bypass public duty and and be given a top position with amply pay. But first you must complete a task for us.”
Royce, wanting to avoid being a street enforcer and be payed more, was more then interested. He asked, “what do you want me to do?”
Hill told him, “help the gestapo find a certain someone, a very dangerous individual that threatens the Reich.”
“Who do you want me to find?”
Hill pleasant demeanor seemed to become agitated. He bluntly said, “this person has never been photographed, we don't even know their real name. All we have is some kind of code name. Bright Star is the name we have.”
Royce asked, “What did she do?”
“Well, you know that the Reich like every other zone on the planet has gone to great lengths to quell possible rebellion. But there are growing rumors of some kind of secretive terrorist group which has cells all over the globe. We have been told they are led by this Bright Star and they have recently come to New Berlin.”
“Mr. Hill, how am I supposed to find this person?”
“Well,” Hill said, “already you have been noticed for your ability for work involving information. Go through our records and see if you can find anything. If you help us find this person, then you will enjoy a salary you could have never imagined of.”
Royce asked, “I will need access to the secret archives, I've noticed that most records of the gestapo are classified.”
Hill seemed reluctant then said, “OK. But remember, you are not to talk about your assignment or anything you discover to any of your colleagues. Talk, and well, you will find out what happens when you betray the Reich. But we won't have any problems will we Edmond?”
“No Mr. Hill. I will do everything I can to find this person for you.”
Hill got up and Royce went to shake his hand.
Royce said, “I won't let you down.”
Hill smiled. “Good, I see big things for you. Now, get to work.”
Then Royce's boss left, and he was alone. He began to think of where to start looking. He then went to his computer and start working.
Royce mumbled to himself. “I'll start with the travel records. Anyone coming into the city must have filed one.”
After a while he then thought of Lilia and stopped typing on the keyboard. He then thought that she might be involved. But instead of informing on her, he just buried his face in his palm and said, “Wolf, what the hell did you get yourself into.”
He then resumed working.





Chapter Eight: The Revolution Begins






It was just before midnight in New Berlin. The strictly enforced curfew was in effect so the streets of the metropolis where mostly empty accept for the gestapo patrols. It was a clear night and the stars where vibrant and filled the sky as most of the citizens slept. Near the center of the city, just a few blocks from the imposing palace of the Fuhrer, a van was parked near several towering statues of the Teutonic knights. Inside Lilia sat behind the wheel as Venomous Cobra, in the passenger seat, looked around for any signs of gestapo agents.
Lilia looked at him and asked, “see anyone?”
Cobra shook his head. “No. You think they would be more present in the heart of New Berlin.”
Lilia replied, “the gestapo is probably patrolling the other sectors of the city, I doubt they would suspect anyone would dare attack the palace.”
Cobra looked behind towards the pile of plastic explosives in the back of the van. “Well Fox, at least your connections came through.” Then he looked at Lilia contemptuously for a moment.
She noticed and stare right at him. “You don't like me do you Cobra.”
Cobra frowned and said, “the only Soviets I've known have been the ones oppressing my people, I have seen your people brutalize mine for as long as I can remember.”
Lilia sighed then told him, “after we have liberated New Berlin, then we will liberate all the people of this Earth, yours included.”
“I'll be honest, I don't trust you.”
She said, “you don't need to trust me, but trust that I hate them as much as you. Cobra, I won't rest until Axis is crushed as well as the Soviet zones as well, even if it means my death.”
Cobra then looked at her. “You don't fear death Fox.”
“No, because I have seen death all my life, it holds no mystery for me.”
He then looked out the passenger window. “The rest of our people, how can they complete their mission if the gestapo is out in force around the rest of the city.”
Lilia said, “Bright Star said she has a plan.”
Outside, the Info Screens hung over the street though they where off. Then at that moment the came on and the face of Bright Star appeared on them. Lilia and Cobra seemed surprised.
Cobra asked, “how did she hack into the Reich information system?”
Lilia grinned. “Seems our leader has more ingenuity then we thought.”
Then Bright Star spoke and her voice echoed throughout the entire city.
“People of New Berlin. Examine the life you have always known, the oppression and torment you suffer on a daily basis. You are not in control of your own life, no, your life is controlled by your cruel masters you. The Reich, as well as all people of this world, has you in shackles from the moment of your birth till the time you die. And they have denied you ideals, words that are forbidden, words like freedom. But soon you will now what freedom is because we will show you, that you have the right to inflict the cruelty on your oppressors that they have so long inflicted on you. Tonight begins a war, a war to liberate the people of this word from Axis. At first you may not want to join this fight for the Reich seems invincible, but they are not and after tonight you will all see this. I ask you to join us. Tonight we will destroy all vestiges of Reich control in Sector Zero, tonight the revolution begins. Join us.”
Then Bright Star vanished from the Info screens. Soon it was replaced by the face of Adelheid as she furiously barked and her voiced boomed throughout the city.
“All gestapo patrols, converge on Sector Zero. Any citizens on the street in violation of curfew are to be shot on sight.”
Cobra looked and Lilia and asked, “why did Bright Star say we are going to attack Sector Zero?”
Lilia smiled. “Because there are no statues in Sector Zero, a distraction. Let's get to work.”

Lilia was at the base of one of the monolithic statues, placing a large pile of plastic explosives at its base. She set the timer so it would go off and midnight and she looked further down the street. She and Cobra already already wired many of the statues to be destroyed. She presumed the rest of the resistance was doing the same, in a few minutes these idols of the Reich would be in piles of rubble.
As she worked she did not notice as a man approached from the direction of the palace further down the street. He was a palace guard, the most elite of the gestapo, dressed in a black uniform. He had his pistol out.
Lilia finished and looked up at the statue. She muttered, “soon I will do this to all of Axis.”
The palace guard the shouted, “halt!”
Lilia looked at him then turned to Cobra. Cobra noticed the guard then ran towards the van and jumped in. As the van then sped away, Lilia shouted, “damn you Cobra!”
She looked back at the guard, as one of her hands reached for the high caliber pistol tucked into the back of her pants.
The guard, as he approached, said, “by authority of the Reich, I am to shoot you on site.”
Lilia looked into his eyes and said, “then do it.”
When the guard went to fire, Lilia swiftly pulled out her gun and fired and single shot into the gestapo guards head. But before he fell down dead he fired a shot and hit Lilia in the leg. She then fell to the ground as blood gushed from the gun wound, she then began to limp away as the timer of the explosives counted down.

When midnight came, explosions rocked all of New Berlin. The gigantic statues which had kept a silent vigil over the city for decades came crashing down into the streets and now where nothing but broken stone. Sirens sounded all over the city as the gestapo left Sector Zero to find their monuments destroyed. Then the army reserve was called out from the barracks outside the New Berlin and soon the entire city was patrolled by agents of the Reich. All the citizens where at their windows of their homes, watching silently as plumes of smoke began to rise up over the city. Though they all feared what the Reich would do in response to this act of defiance, in their hearts they rejoiced that finally the Reich had been dealt a blow.
During the commotion, Lilia stealthily made her way through the city towards the
agricultural district.

Wolf lay in his bed in his small domicile. He had heard the explosions and sirens in the distance, yet he just lay there and waited for his punishment for nonconformity. He did not know what to do, and just felt and feeling of powerlessness. But his grim pondering was interrupted by a knock at the door.
He got up, went to the door and said loudly, “I can't open the door, I under house arrest.”
Then Lilia's voice spoke from the other side. “Wolf. Help.”
He then used his strength to force the door open and found the wounded Lilia on the other side. He looked at her bloodied leg and asked, “what happened?”
She told him, “I need you.”
He then helped her limp to his bed and he placed her on it. He went to his bathroom and ripped off a strip of cloth from and towel then used it to bandaged Lilia's leg. He looked at her and said, “those explosions, you are involved aren't you.”
She replied, “I didn't want to involve you Wolf because I wanted you to be safe. But I did not know where else to go.”
Wolf then looked at the open door. “Lilia. A gestapo agent will be here soon. I'm under house arrest and they have been alerted that my door was opened.”
“Why are you under house arrest?”
Wolf could not look at her as he explained. “I'm going to be sterilized tomorrow. Apparently it has been decided I'm fit to be a laborer but not to pass my genes on.”
Lilia then closed her eyes and said, “I guess you won't be left in peace like you want Wolf.”
Wolf told her, “I better tend to your wound.”

A half an hour passed. Wolf used a small knife to dig the bullet out of Lilia's leg, she grunted as he did so. Afterward he applied a better bandage. But before they could speak a loud voice yelled from the open door.
“Hands up!”
Wolf turned away from Lilia who was still lying on his bed and saw a tall, well built gestapo agent at his door. Wolf put his hands up and said, “I had to open the door, a friend of mine got hurt and she needed my help.”
The gestapo agent noticed Lilia on the bed and frowned. “Why was she out, there was a curfew. Anyone violating it is to be shot on site.”
The gestapo agent walked past Wolf and stood over the bed. As he looked down at her, he noticed her bandaged leg. The agent said flatly, “OK, I'm taking you both in. Tonight terrorists have attacked New Berlin, and I think you two are involved. And if you are, soon you will be put to death.”
As soon as Wolf heard that he rushed up on the gestapo agent while his back was to him and Wolf put his arm around his neck. Wolf used his ample strength until their was the sound of a sickening snap and he dropped the agents lifeless body on the ground.
Lilia looked at Wolf then asked, “why did you kill him?”
He shook his head as he replied, “I couldn't let him take you in. I could not let you be killed.”
Lilia seemed shocked yet also moved. “Wolf. I want you to come with me, help me.”
He looked at her. “Help you with what?”
“Destroy the Reich. They will never leave you in peace now, but you can help destroy this injustice we have suffered for so long.”
Wolf stared into her eyes. “I don't care about that, but I'll help. Just to make sure you are safe.”
“We have to go. More gestapo will come soon. We need to get to sector zero.”
“It is not safe,” Wolf said, “the gestapo will have the whole city locked down. But I know of some old ruins on the edge of the agricultural district, we can hide there until morning. Once the streets are full of citizens after the curfew is lifted, we can safely make our way to sector zero.”
She said, “OK, let's go.”
Wolf helped her limp out out his home and they went out into the night.

 

[Autodidact_33]

Chapter Nine: Night in the ruins.



Wolf and Lilia made there way to the outskirts of the agricultural district. As Wolf helped her limp, he could hear the sirens in distance. But they did reach the ruins. They found an older, long abandoned agricultural tower. The towering, crumbling building loomed over a small shack where Lilia and Wolf had taken refuge.
Inside the old plastic box, Wolf stood by the open door and Lilia lay on the ground. She was looking at him though he took no notice. It was dark but some moonlight came in through the door.
“Wolf. I have always wanted to thank. For when we where young, and for saving my life tonight.”
Wolf would have smiled had it not been for the seriousness of the situation. He said, “Lilia, you should sleep.”
Lilia was smiling. “Don't call me Lilia after tonight. I want you to call me Fox.”
Wolf then looked at her. When he saw that she was smiling, he looked away but talked. “Why Fox?”
Lilia explained, “a code name. Wild Fox. In the resistance, we don't use our real names. Helps us stay hidden.”
Wolf inhaled. “I want to join, this thing you are mixed up with, I think you'll need me around.”
She told him, “you'll need a code name though.”
“How are they assigned?”
“You can only join us,” she said, “if a senior member vouches for you. I can get you in so it is my job to assign your code name.”
He then looked at her. “OK Fox, what is my code name?”
She softly laughed. “Lone Wolf.”
He then lowered his head. “Fox. You know me, I am a solitary person. But when we where young, you made it better even though we where just friends.”
She then looked away from him. “Wolf. Would you like to, you know, be with me?”
A gust of wind outside blew in through the door. He looked out and asked, “would you like to be with me?”
She then closed her eyes. “Wolf, I must tell you something. I've known since I was young that I was never going to grow old. I hate them since I can remember. Some of my family are alive right now. Slaves. Shipped of to some frozen wasteland.”
He interrupted her. “They took my father away.”
She asked, “why did you never tell me?”
He explained, “because he was an inferior. I always feared I would be to. I just wanted to be nobody because I thought they might let me have that. I fell in love with you because you seemed as alone as me.”
She said, “Wolf, I've done things. Killed people. Just trust me that they deserved it.”
Wolf then sighed. “Do you trust me?”
“Honestly, right now. You are the only man on this Earth I trust. You are a loyal guy.”
He then looked at her laying there. “Lilia, I mean Fox. Do you love me?”
She then locked eyes with him and they just stared mutely at each other for a moment. She weakly smiled and said, “I care for you, more then any other man.”
He then inhaled and stuck out his chest. “You said you might die. Fox, I'm not afraid of dying with you. But I promise, I'll do what ever it takes to stop that from happening.”
She asked, “what about killing Wolf?”
He seemed to frown. “I'll kill anyone who tries to harm you.”
She then rested back. “Tomorrow, when we reach Sector Zero, I'll tell you more. We should sleep.”
He shook his head. “Someone might come while we are asleep.”
She then coyly laughed. “Lone Wolf, you are now under my command as a member of the resistance. I'm cold and we won't do anyone much good if we die from hypothermia.”
“Are you sure?”
“Wolf, I'm asking you to hold me.”
He then got down on the soft plastic floor of the shack and they held each other. She rested her head on his chest as his heart beat. Almost passing out, she weakly asked, “do you want to be together?”
He stroked her hair and whispered, “we need sleep. We'll know when it is right.”
Drifting off she said, “my father. He only met you once, but he said you seemed like a nice guy, for a fascist stooge.”
Almost falling asleep himself, he muttered, “from now on, I'm just your stooge.”
They fell asleep. Somewhere outside a bird chirped which was odd since it was late at night.”












Chapter Ten: Royce's Investigation





Early the next morning in Royce's office. He sat at his desk and was going through the secret archives of the Gestapo was Hill had given him access. He had been at his desk all night reading information and he seemed tired. There was stubble on his chin as he read. He had heard the explosions and was told of what happened. But he just remained at his desk and worked.
He looked at the names of the countless secret files on his screen. Unsure where to start he just accessed one at random. The files name was The Final Solution to the Jewish Question. He had to idea what Jewish meant but was about to find out as he read. As he read the file be became shocked and somewhat disgusted.
The file recorded a history of a religion named Judaism which was a ancient faith. But once Adolf Hitler had taken power, he was determined to exterminate every member of this religion in Germany. They where all rounded up into camps and exterminated. Men, women and even children. After Axis had conquered the world, the rest of this faith where secretly killed. It was believed that no Jew was still alive. As he read, he learned the icon of this faith was a six pointed star called the Star of David.
Royce stopped reading and muttered, “Bright Star.”
There was a knock at the door. Royce looked towards the door and said, “come in!”
The door open and Gestapo Head Mr. Hill walked in and seemed upset. He said, “Royce, we need to speak. It is urgent.”
Hill sat in the chair in front of Royce and used a handkerchief to wiped the sweat from the brow. He then said, “I need to speak with you about your foster brother Wolf Ford.”
There was a knot in Royce's stomach. “What about him?”
“Last night, we believed he killed a Gestapo agent. Ford was under house arrest when the Gestapo was alerted that his door was opened. The Gestapo agent who went to respond was found dead an hour later, no trace of this Wolf Ford. Know anything about this?”
Royce decided to lie. “We grew up together but I never really liked the guy. He had a head full of bad wiring and was a social outcast. Honestly, I always knew he would end up killing someone. Guess when you find him he will be put to death. Why was he under house arrest.”
Hill told him, “A routine sterilization. Now, we are going to sterilize this Wolf Ford from this Earth. If you hear from him, tell me immediately. If he does and I find out you hid it. Then Royce Edmond, you will soon find yourself a lifeless corpse. Am I understood?”
Royce nodded. “Honestly. Wolf would be better of dead. Was never happy in life anyways.”
“I like you Edmond. I feared you might have some misplaced loyalty to your foster brother.”
Royce said, “the guy always gave me the chills.”
Hill explained, “well, know we know this terrorist faction is here. They destroyed icons that the Reich as well as the Fuhrer worshiped. Actually, I have spent the past five hours in a conference with her.”
Royce asked, “what did she say?”
Hill then grinned. “She has ordered that the Gestapo to capture every terrorist alive.”
“Why alive. Should you not want them dead?”
Hill then let out a deep laugh. “They are going to wish that we would just kill them. Once we have them, they will spend the rest of their lives being brutally hurt on a daily basis. They are going to know long lives of pain and suffering. They will all regret there audacity to think they can make the Reich afraid.”
“Seems extreme,” Royce said.
Hill grinned. “There torment will be regularly displayed on every info screen in the Reich. Citizens must be made to be afraid of thinking they can possibly rise up. Trust me, in the coming of months; the Gestapo is going to shed an ocean of blood in New Berlin.”
Royce said, “guess they deserve it.”
Hill asked, “do you fear death Edmond?”
Royce leaned back in his chair. “I promise you, when I die, I'm going to be an old man in my bed surrounded by friends and family. I am not going to die anytime soon.”
Hill nodded. “I like you answer Edmond. Now have you learned anything while going through the secret archives?”
Royce explained. “I think this Bright Star, she might be a Jewish woman.”
Upon hearing this Hill grunted and slammed his fist down on Royce's desk. Spittle bellowed from his mouth as he spoke. “Those subhumans are all dead. The Reich removed their pathetic race from this planet.”
“But,” Royce said, “I saw Bright Star's picture when it was recorded from the info screen last night. That tattoo of a star, I think it is a Star of David.”
Hill calmed down. “The Fuhrer suspected. But no wants to believe any of those wretches are left. If some are, then we will finally rid this planet of there blight.”
Royce told him, “I'll try to learn more Mr. Hill.”
Hill then smiled and reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a badge, a silver iron cross. He dropped it on Royce's desk and said, “Edmond. Good work. You know are Fifth Level Gestapo. Tomorrow, you will be given a large office on the top floor. May I ask you something?”
Royce replied, “Sure Mr. Hill.”
“Know that you have learned of the secret history of the the so called Final Solution, how does that make you feel?”
Royce could not look at him as he lied again. “During my life, I have met many people who I think should be killed before they can contaminate the world with their inferiority.”
Hill began to cackle briefly. “I totally agree. Now I must go. Get back to work. See if you can learn Bright Star's real name.”
“Of course sir.”
Hill got up then silently left. Once the door was closed Royce picked up the silver badge and looked at it. He then found and through it towards a wall then it lay upon the ground. He was worried about being killed and about Wolf.
He muttered, “Wolf. I giving you a week. After that, I'll tell Hill about Lilia and her involvement. You might be my half brother, but I am not going to get myself killed to be you alive. Sorry, but the friend of Royce pass has its limits.”
Royce then lowered his head and sigh. He whispered, “forgive me Wolf.”




























Chapter Eleven: Wolf's First Day in the Resistance






It was around noon in Sector Zero. The gestapo was out in force as people filled the streets and traffic bustled in the streets. The black uniformed gestapo agents took no notice of a young man helping a limping woman towards the heart of Sector Zero.

Katsumi and Venomous Cobra where in Lilia's apartment. Katsumi was looking out and window as Cobra paced about the room.
Katsumi said, “where the hell is Fox?”
Cobra seemed distant but he said, “probably dead.”
Katsumi looked at him and frowned. “You where with her last night. What happened?”
“I told you,” Cobra replied, “I finished setting up the explosives and waited for her. She never showed up so I had to leave her.”
Katsumi seemed angry and upset. “Our first action and already one of the cell leaders is dead.”
Cobra shrugged. “Well, it is a good way to die. We'll go along fine without her.”
Katsumi returned to looking out the window. “I liked her. Guess she is-”
Katsumi was interrupted when the door opened. He and Cobra watched in disbelief as Wolf helped the limping Lilia into the apartment. Wolf took her and helped her sit on the bed. Katsumi and Cobra where both looking at Wolf with suspicion.
Cobra demanded, “who the hell is he?”
Lilia explained. “Our newest member. His code name is Lone Wolf. He is under my command.”
Katsumi looked Wolf then said, “can he be trusted Fox?”
She nodded. “Last night he saved my life by killing a thug of the gestapo. He was going to be sterilized the next day.”
Katsumi then shook Wolf's hand. “Lone Wolf. I'm Swift Rabbit. You just saved a real asset to the resistance.”
Wolf lowly said, “I did not have much of a choice.”
Katsumi looked at Lilia and asked, “what happened last night Fox?”
Lilia looked at Cobra harshly as she explained. “I finished wiring the explosives when a palace guard found me. Cobra left me to die. I killed the guard but was also shot. I made my way to Lone Wolf's home and he helped me.”
Wolf looked at Cobra and frowned. Wolf then walked up to him then punched Cobra in the stomach who then fell down winded. Katsumi grabbed Wolf's arm and said, “what are you doing?”
Wolf replied, “he deserves it.”
Cobra looked up at Wolf and threatened, “you will regret that, I promise.”
Lilia then ordered, “Wolf. Stand in the corner and stay silent.”
Wolf then stood in the corner of the room and looked at the wall. Cobra got to his feet and Katsumi looked at him. Katsumi said, “Cobra. I should turn you in to the gestapo myself. I would to if we did not need you. Pull something like that again and I'll do it.”
Cobra walked towards the front door. Before he left, he said, “I'll be at my apartment in Sector Zero if you need me. Sorry Fox.” There was no conviction in the way he said sorry.
After Cobra left and slammed the door behind him, Katsumi when to the bed and looked down at Lilia. He said, “Wild Fox, you are a tough woman to kill.”
Lilia replied, “I'm not dying before a lot of Reich thugs. So what are we to do next?”
Katsumi told her, “Bright Star wants us to wait and week before our next action. She wants the heat to die down a little. That will give you some time to heal. Stay home and nurse your wound. I'll have a member from my cell posted in your apartment for protection.”
Lilia shook her head. “Lone Wolf will do that. It will give me some time to train him.”
Katsumi looked at Wolf and seemed unsure. “He is new. Maybe you need some with more experience.”
She shook her head and said, “he can do it. But he is going to need a weapon.”
Wolf then turned around and looked at them. Katsumi shrugged then said, “ Lone Wolf, come with me.”
Before they both left, Wolf looked back at Lilia and said, “I'll be right back Fox.”
They Katsumi and Wolf left the apartment. Once Lilia was alone she lay down in bed and closed her eyes.

A van was parked out Lilia's apartment. Over it was a blank info screen. As people walked past the vehicle, no one took much notice. In the back of the of the van Wolf and Katsumi where kneeling on the metallic floor. A large gym bag was between them.
Katsumi looked at Wolf and said, “Okay Lone Wolf, pick your poison.”
Wolf replied, “I don't know what you mean Swift Rabbit?”
Katsumi grinned a opened the bag. Inside where a couple of automatic weapons
as well as many pistols. Wolf looked at the weapons for a moment.
Katsumi asked, “every used a gun before?”
“No, never.”
Katsumi then said, “take one, Fox will show you how to use it. I wound recommend an automatic weapon.”
Wolf then looked at the guns again. He then pulled out two silver automatic pistols, one in each hand.
Katsumi asked, “why two?”
Wolf looked at the guns then replied, “I've always been ambidextrous.”
Katsumi grinned. “Okay Lone Wolf. I you ready to use them?”
Wolf seemed unsure. “Not really. But I will to protect Fox.”
Katsumi then asked, “how do you know Fox anyways?”
“We used to be friends. Actually, she is the only friend I've ever really had.”
Katsumi then looked towards the front of the van. “Lone Wolf, now I get it. Something tells me you and Fox and more then friends but that really does not concern me. Just follow her orders and keep her safe.”
“I will Rabbit.”
Katsumi asked Wolf, “every member of the resistance has a reason for joining. What is yours?”
“Simple,” Wolf replied, “keep Fox alive. That is it. Why did you join Rabbit?”
Katsumi seemed saddened then crawled into the front of the van and sat in the driver seat while Wolf remained in the back. Katsumi put his hands on the driver's wheel and lowered his head as he explained.
“I was married once. That was before she was taken away by the Japanese equivalent of the gestapo. She had been found with a book that was illegal and subversive. I never knew what happened to her. Before that I believed in fascism completely. That is why I was not suspect. After, well, I founded the Asian resistance cell.”
Wolf said, “sorry for you loss.”
Katsumi sighed deeply. “I and her will be together someday. Wolf, take to two shoulder holsters. Hide your pistols beneath your coat. And be ready to use them if needed. Now I must be off. We'll meet in a few days.”
A few minutes later. Now Wolf's guns where concealed and he stood outside the van's driver door. He looked at Katsumi through the open window and said, “I'll see you later Rabbit.”
Katsumi looked at him. “Wolf, some advice. Keep Fox safe, but don't get to attached to her. We may all die on this one. Be ready for that.”
Wolf looked away and said, “I'll try.”
Suddenly the info screen above the van came on and now Wolf's picture was on it. A male voice spoke and said, “Wolf Ford is wanted for the murder of a gestapo agent. If you see him, tell the gestapo immediately. Thank you.”
Once the info screen was blank Katsumi frowned and said, “lay low Wolf. I'll be going now.” Before he drove off Katsumi looked briefly at Wolf. “I got a feeling about you. I think you are going to be a real help to the revolution.”
Wolf turned to walk away but said, “I don't care about the revolution to be honest. I'm just here to make sure Fox is safe.”
Katsumi then drove off as Wolf quickly went back into Lilia's building.

Wolf entered the apartment to find Lilia asleep in her bed. Wolf then sat in a chair across from the bed. He just spent the rest of the day silently watching her sleep.









































Chapter Twelve: Operation Rebirth







Royce sat behind the large desk in his large new office. Behind him was a large window from which one could see the imposing palace of the Fuhrer not far away. He had not slept in days yet continued to work. Now the silver iron cross was on the chest of his black uniform. He was looking at the a the large computer screen as he continued to review the secret archives but had learned little. Then he saw the file named Operation Rebirth but when he went to access it the words access denied flashed. He looked closer then shook his head.
Royce said to himself, “why is this file blocked. I should have complete access.”
He did not notice Hill walk into his office. “Edmond, a word please.”
Royce look up from the screen then saw Hill. He asked, “what do you want sir?”
Hill approached the desk and said, “I have some fantastic news.”
Royce returned to looking at the screen but told Hill, “what is it?”
“A traitor,” Hill replied, “a traitor in the resistance. I was contacted by a letter from someone who claims to be a cell leader of the resistance.”
Royce then looked at Hill again. “Who is it?”
Hill explained, “the letter did not say. But who ever wrote says they will deliver all the cell leaders to us for a fortune. They wants to meet alone this weekend with a agent of the gestapo. I want you to do it Edmond.”
“Why me sir?”
Hill grinned widely. “I like your style. Meet with this traitor and give them what they want. If this works, in a week, every terrorist in this resistance will be suffering. Succeed and you get another promotion.”
Royce was reluctant but said, “I meet with them. Listen, I tried to access a file named Operation Rebirth but it was restricted. I thought I had clearance.”
Hill looked at Royce, his eyes seemed worried and frightened but flatly said, “that is none of the concern Edmond.”
Royce frowned and said, “I have done a lot for the gestapo. Tell me something.”
Hill then looked towards the window behind Royce was stared at the palace. He said, “all I can tell you is that the Fuhrer has prepared a contingency plan if there is a revolt which threatens to overthrow the Reich. I pray it does not come to that though.”
“Anything else you can divulge sir?”
Hill then said, “if it comes to that then it will be a bad day for all the people of Earth. You said you wanted to be in the Luftwaffe and fly in space. If it comes to that final option then you may get your wish. How would you like to see the moon Edmond.”
“I would love to sir.”
The Hill looked directly at Royce and said, “the gestapo has learned Wolf Ford was an acquittance of a soviet woman. One Lilia Belova. She arrived not long before those initial terrorist bombings. Know anything?”
Royce looked away from Hill glare and lied once again. “In school, he was in love with her. But she was just using him I think. Wolf told me the last time we spoke that he never wanted to see her. She may be involved though.”
“Pull up her address and give it to a gestapo enforcer tomorrow. And get some sleep Edmond, you look terrible.”
Hill then left and Royce was alone. Royce then immediately started to punch keys on his keyboard. Within a few minutes he had change Lilia's address to another one in sector zero. He was able to hide any trace of his tampering then shut off his computer. He got up and walked to the window behind him. He rested his head against and the glass and looked solemnly at the palace and sighed.
“Last favor I ever do you Wolf. You got three days before I tell Hill everything. I'm risking my life here so if we ever meet again, I'll kick your ass for sure. You stupid, stupid fool.”
Royce then shut off the lights in the office and left.
























Chapter Thirteen: Training





Early the next morning in Lilia's apartment. Wolf had fallen asleep in the chair and was snoring, Lilia lay in her bed asleep as the morning sunlight began to shine through the window over the bed. After several moments she began to awake from her slumber. She sat up in bed and looked about the apartment, when she saw Wolf asleep she smiled. She slowly got up from her bed, her wounded leg still hurt but was getting better. She limped across the room and stood before Wolf, looking down at the sleeping man.
“Wolf, time to get up.”
He then slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her. He groggily said, “morning Fox.” He then yawned loudly.
Lilia limped towards the kitchenette and told him, “I'll make us breakfast.”
Minutes later she was standing over a small stove and cooking. Wolf had gone into the bathroom, after he emerged he returned to sitting in the chair. Lilia looked up from the sizzling bacon then asked, “Wolf, can I ask you something?”
Wolf replied, “sure.”
“Why did you not sleep in the bed last night. I would not have minded.”
Wolf explained, “I thought you needed a good nights sleep; I did not want to disturb you.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you, but you would not have bothered me.”
He asked, “how is the leg?”
“Better,” she said, “in a few days I should be able to get around more easily. OK, let us have some food.”

Later in the morning. Wolf stood in the center of the apartment. He had removed in drab gray coat and now whore only his pants and undershirt. He was wearing his two shoulder holsters, the two pistols hanging on either side of his torso. Lilia was standing behind him. She hand a hand on his shoulder.
“OK,” she said, “when I saw, pull out your guns as fast as you can and pull the triggers.”
She had spent the past hour showing him how to reload and other basics of guns, he seemed to learn quick.
He then whipped out the guns with much speed and aimed them forwards, when he pulled the triggers there where two metallic clicks since the guns where empty. He then returned the guns to there holsters.
Lilia nodded and place her free hand on Wolf's other shoulder. “That was good. With two guns you'll have trouble reloading, but you'll do your best. Are you ready to use them?”
He nodded then turned to face her and looked into her blue eyes. “If that is your order then I really do not have a choice.”
She then walked away from him and sat upon the bed again. Her large, silver revolver was on the bed beside her and she picked it up and looked at it. She seemed to be thinking about something.
Wolf asked, “something wrong Fox?”
She seemed saddened as she explained. “Just thinking about the first time I used this gun. After my parents where taken away, I went to the home on the KGB agent responsible to settle the score. It was a snowy night in Leningrad as I knocked on the door to his home. He opened the door and as soon as he did I shot him between the eyes.”
He was looking at her. “How did you feel?”
“Well,” she replied, “I thought it would have given me solace. But not really. In the following years though, I lot of soviet thugs would join him by my hand.”
“Do you like killing Fox?”
She then seemed unable to look at him. “No Wolf, but it has to be done. The timid nature of most honest citizens these days just make our oppressors for bold. It has to be done but it gives me no pleasure. Are you ready to shoot Reich servants?”
He approached the bed and looked at her. “No, I do want to shoot anyone. But they are really not leaving me a choice. I'll do what ever it takes Fox.”
She then coyly smiled and asked, “Wolf, sit on the bed with me for a moment.”
He hesitated then sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Since I joined the resistance, even though I was around many others I always felt so alone. But now that you are here, I do not feel so alone anymore.”
Wolf said, “I know how you feel Fox.”
Lilia seemed sad again. “Long ago I accepted I would die a young woman, though death has no fear for me. I am glad you are with me Wolf, but I am afraid that I will get you killed. I do not want to see he die.”
He put his hand on hers. “Fox, a week ago all I wanted was to live a long life as an anonymous laborer. Now, even if we die together tomorrow or the day after next, those few days are worth more to me then a long life alone.”
She softly. “Wolf, I promise you will never alone again. We will always be together, till the end.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“Yes. Should we parish next week or in forty years, that time we will always be together. Now, let us get back to training.”

Night. Lilia and Wolf had spent the rest of the day training, she told him about explosives and munitions. He seemed to be a fast learner. Then as the sun set over Sector Zero, and the day of training was over.
Wolf lay face down on the bed with his shirt off and his back bare. Lilia was straddling his back and was holding a electric tattooing needle was was making an image on Wolf's back, as she had worked at this for the past two hours, they hardly spoke.
Wolf then broke the silence by asking, “what did you draw?”
Lilia turned off the needle and now looked down at the stylish image of a gray Wolf running down his back. She smiled and said, “that is a surprise.”
Then they where silent as she looked down at him. Then she began to unbutton her gray blouse then through it to the floor. She then leaned down and began to kiss Wolf's back.
He said, “what are you doing Fox?”
“Wolf,” she said, “I'm giving you a direct order to keep your mouth shut.”
He then told her, “I don't think we should do this.”
Lilia stopped kissing his back then got up from the bed and put her blouse back on. She walked across the room and her back was to him. He sat up in the bed and looked at her.
Lilia asked, “don't you want me Wolf?”
He got up, walked slowly up behind then put his arms around Lilia. He whispered, “I've wanted that since the first time we spoke, never thinking it could happen.”
She sighed then asked, “then why don't we.”
He replied, “because I want to wait for the right moment. We are in the middle of something serious Fox, our heads should be elsewhere. But I promise, when we finally are together; we will know it was meant to be then.”
She then turned to face him and they held each other. Lilia said, “I then look forward to when it is right. Wolf, have you ever been with anyone?”
He shook his head. “No, never. But I'm glad that it will be with you. Fox, you are the only woman for me. I've always known that.”
She slightly laughed. “You can be so sentimental. I'm tired, so let us go to bed.”
Wolf said, “I'll sleep in the chair.”
Then then pulled away from him but took his hand and took him to the bed. She lay down in it and looked up at him. “Please, I do not want to sleep alone. Just hold me till tomorrow.”
He looked at Lilia then got into the bed with her and they began to embrace each other. They remained like that for awhile until they both finally fell asleep.









Chapter Fourteen: Pay Back






The morning sun begin to cascade through the window above Lilia's bed. She was alone in the bed and deep asleep. Then she began to toss and turn for awhile then opened her eyes. She sat up in bed and looked around her apartment.
She called out, “Wolf.”
She got out of the bed and began to limp about the apartment looking for him. But when she found that she was alone she began to grow worried then made her way to the front door. She opened the door, leaned out and looked about the hallway. When she saw the hall was empty she closed the door then turned and pressed her back against the door.
She lowly said, “Wolf, where are you?”

Mr. White's office on the top floor of farm tower eight in the agricultural district. Around noon his door opened and the bald, bespectacled doctor in the white lab coat entered holding a black medical bag walked in. Once the door was closed the doctor dropped the bag on Mr. White's desk and he looked at it.
The doctor said, “your reward is inside White.”
Mr. White grinned then opened the bag. It was full of large domination bills and the manager began to deeply laugh. He said, “what a red letter day.”
The doctor smiled. “As you know, the department of genetic health is payed generously for each citizen we correct. My department appreciates all the business you send our way.”
Mr. White shrugged. “To be honest, I love doing it. Anyone in this tower who displeases me gets sent your way, anyone who really angers me gets fired so the gestapo can deal with them. There is this small runt on a lower level of the tower who I think needs to be corrected.”
The doctor seemed agitated momentarily. “They still have not found Ford.”
Mr. White laughed again. “He is a moron. The gestapo will find him and put him out of his misery.”
The doctor then calmed down. “Yes. I'm sure they will.”
Mr. White replied, “don't worry, we will never see them again.”
Just then the door opened and a man walked in, wearing gray clothes and coat; his head was lowered and his identity concealed by a cap. The doctor and Mr. White looked at the stranger.
Mr. White barked, “get back to work or you will be unemployed.”
The man removed the cap and both the doctor and Mr. White gasped.
The manager nervously said, “Ford.”
It was Wolf. He looked blankly and the two off them when Mr. White went to hit the button of the intercom on his desk. As soon as he did Wolf pulled a silver pistol out from his coat and aim it and Mr. White. The manager raised his hands and seemed scared, the doctor back up against a wall and shook his head.
Mr. White, scared, said, “Wolf. They will kill you for this.”
Wolf squinted his eyes and said, “They are going to kill me anyways. They can't kill me twice.”
The manager pleaded, “don't, don't kill us.”
Wolf then aimed the pistol and the doctor and pulled the trigger. The office was full of the thunderous sound of a gun shot and the doctor fell to his knees as blood pored from the wound in his stomach. Wolf approached the wounded man and pressed the mussel of the pistol to the doctor's forehead.
The doctor weakly said, “I'm was just doing my job. Don't fire.”
Wolf flatly said, “I have the genes of an inferior. Do you expect me to know any better. Goodbye doctor.”
Wolf pulled the trigger again and a spray of blood spewed out from a hole in his head and the doctor fell to the ground dead. Wolf then aimed the gun and Mr. White again and sighed.
Mr. White got up from his chair and backed up against the large window behind him. He said, “why are you doing this Ford? What do you hope to gain?”
Wolf frowned. “All I wanted was to do my job and be left alone. That is all. You could not even give me that. If you had just let me work here and left me in peace, well, I would not be here now.”
Mr. White looked towards the bag on the desk. “Ford. That bag, there is a small fortune in it. Take it all. Just let me live.”
Wolf went to the desk and picked up the bag with his free hand. He then looked harshly and the terrified manager, gun still aimed at him. Wolf said, “thanks.”
“So you will let me live?”
Wolf then pulled the trigger and the window behind Mr. White shattered. The manager turned and looked at the fifty story fall behind him. He turned back to Wolf and excitedly said, “this tower needs me.”
Wolf shrugged. “There are thousands waiting to take your place.”
Wolf then walked around the desk, gun aimed, and stood before Mr. White. Wolf said, “you should have left me alone.”
Mr. White screamed, “help me!”
Wolf then kicked the manager back and Mr. White fell through the window. Wolf stepped forward and watched as the obese man fell to his death. Wolf then frowned again and walked out the door as he put his cap back on, concealing his gun again.
As Wolf walked down a hallway; a short, diminutive man ran towards him. He was an older farm laborer Wolf had known by the name of Wally Denton. They stopped in front of each other.
Wally asked, “where those gunshots. What happened?”
Wolf replied, “Mr. White is dead, as well as another man. Check if you want.”
Wally then looked at Wolf and gasped. “Ford. Please, don't kill me.”
Wolf then opened the black bag he was holding and pulled out a large bill and stuffed it into the pocket on the chest of Wally's shirt.
Wally seemed confused. “What are you doing Ford?”
Wolf began to walk away but said, “when the gestapo gets here, tell them the killer said he was Lone Wolf.”
Wally watched him leave and felt a brief pang of joy. Wally lowly said, “good, Mr. White deserved it. Thanks Wolf.”

Lilia sat on her bed and looked out the window. Outside the sun was setting as night fell over Sector Zero. She had spent all day hoping the door would open and Wolf would walk in. As the hours passed, she only grew more worried. She then said, “don't do this to me Wolf.”
There was an info screen outside Lilia's window. Though she could not see what was on it, she could hear the male voice speaking from it.
“Today, two men where killed in the agricultural. The suspect named himself as Lone Wolf who the gestapo suspects is Wolf Ford. If you see him, inform the gestapo immediately. Thank you.”
Lilia then looked at the door and whispered, “Wolf, walk through that door right now. Please.”
She watched the door for a few minutes. When it opened and Wolf walked in, holding a black bag in one hand and a shopping bag in the other, Lilia smiled. She got up from the bed, limped across the room and through her arms around Wolf.
She asked, “why did you kill those two men?”
Wolf then pulled away from her and went to a small table and placed both bags on it. He explained, “just settling a score. Thought I could use some experience at this sort of thing.”
Lilia limped towards the table and checked the bags. She found the money and some supplies in the shopping bag, among which was men's hair dye for. Wolf then went into the bathroom, turned on the faucet of the sink and doused his face with water. He looked into the mirror as Lilia limped to the bathroom door and looked at him.
She asked, “where did you get the money?”
“Just a fortuitous coincidence.”
Lilia was upset and raised her voice. “Wolf, never do that again. I spent all day afraid you would never come back.”
He looked at her. “Sorry. I did not mean for you to worry Fox.”
Lilia said, “you follow my orders, not go out and act on your own.”
Wolf then approached her and looked deeply into her eyes. “It will be the last time.”
She held him. “It is OK. Just do not do it again.”
Wolf softly said, “I'm hungry, let us have dinner.”
Then they pulled away from each other and spent awhile just looking into each others eyes.

 

[Autodidact_33]

Chapter Fifteen: The Brother's Fight







It was the next morning in Lilia's apartment. Rain was splattering against her window as outside ominous clouds hung over all of New Berlin. She had awoken alone and heard running water coming from the bathroom. She got up from the bed and was now able to walk without limping she went to the bathroom door and look inside. Wolf was wearing only his gray pants and undershirt. He was drying his hair with a towel, when he stopped she realized that he had dyed his hair gray. He then looked towards her.
She asked, “why the change of hair color?”
“Simple,” he replied, “make it easier for me to move around unnoticed.”
She smiled and chuckled. “The gray makes you look more distinguished. I like it Wolf.”
He then walked past her but asked and he passed, “how is the leg Fox?”
She followed him into the main room of the apartment and said, “better. Guess I'm good enough to go outside tomorrow.”
Wolf went to the chair, his gray shirt and coat where on it as well as the two holsters. He put on his shirt then the coat. She asked, “are you going somewhere Wolf?”
He looked towards and said, “I need to speak with Royce.”
She then went to him and took his hand. “You are crazy enough to go into gestapo headquarters alone?”
“I have a plan,” he said.
Lilia then put her other hand on his cheek. “Why do you need to see Royce?”
He looked into her eyes. “Get him to join us. If we had someone in the gestapo on outside, someone with access to their network, it could really be of great help.”
She then rested her head on his shoulder, she seemed almost on the verge of tears. She whispered, “Wolf, don't go.”
Wolf said, “if you order me not to go, I won't. But Royce could really help us, it is worth the risk. It is your decision Fox.”
She then walked away from him then sighed. “Do you think Royce will join us?”
“Probably not,” Wolf said, “he'll go out of his way to avoid trouble. But I have to try.”
Lilia could not look at him. She told him, “then try Wolf. Just promise me you will come back.”
“I promise Fox.”
He then went to go out the door when Lilia noticed his holsters. “Won't you need your guns?”
As left he, Wolf said, “going into gestapo HQ with guns will be difficult.”
She then muttered, “good luck.”
Once he was gone, Lilia feared she would never see him again.

It was later in the morning in Royce's office on the top floor of the gestapo headquarters. His arms where folded across his chest as he looked solemnly out the window and the palace. His eyes seemed weary and he then lowered his head.
He said to himself, “OK Wolf. I gave you a few days. Now I have to tell Hill everything I know. Sorry pal.”
Royce then went to towards his door when it opened and a young man with gray hair walked in, he was wearing the black uniform of the gestapo. Royce glanced at him and said, “you are lost.”
The man said, “thought I would never see you again Royce.”
Then Royce mouth went agape and a mumbled, “Wolf.”
Wolf looked at Royce and asked, “why are you on the top floor already?”
Royce did not answer his question but said, “where the hell did you get the uniform?”
Wolf explained, “I killed a gestapo agent in sector zero and took the uniform. Someone downstairs told me you where up here.”
Royce seemed angered. “Great, Wolf, just great. In the past week you have resorted to killing people. Just so you can be with some Russian dame.”
Wolf then said, “I need your help Royce.”
Royce went to walk past him but stated, “I'm going to my boss and telling him everything. You better run before more gestapo get here.”
Royce opened door but before he could leave Wolf said, “you owe me Royce.”
Royce then slammed the door shut and turned to face Wolf. He raised his voice and shouted, “I owe you nothing! If anyone here owes anything then you owe me! I have defended you all my life, now in the past days I have risked my life just to keep you and your woman safe! I'm not going to die for you Wolf!”
Wolf frowned. “Royce, please.”
Royce then locked the door and looked at Wolf. Royce rolled up the sleeves of the uniform and raised his fist. He said firmly, “OK. Put your fists up Wolf.”
Wolf backed away from him. “Royce, what are you doing?”
Royce started to approach him. “Because I'm about to kick your ass. Remember when we where around ten and got into the fight about that toy plane, I beat you into the ground then like I'm about to do now. You might be hard headed, but you know damn well I'm one of the few people who can trounce you.”
Wolf then said, “OK, I guess we need to do this.”
Then Royce punched Wolf in the face, Wolf stumbled back against the desk then Royce delivered an uppercut which sent Wolf tumbling over the desk knocking over the computer. Wolf now was laying on the floor on the other side, blood starting to drip from his nose. Royce then stood over him and said, “I'm just getting started.”
Then Wolf kicked Royce in the shin and Royce started to stumble back. Wolf jumped to his feet and charged at Royce, they grappled about the office until Royce finally had Wolf in a headlock. Royce then started punching him in the head.
Royce yelled, “this is for your own good!”

Outside the office, a female gestapo secretary was passing by. She was in a black uniform that had a skirt and she looked at the door as the the sound of things crashing and men yelling came from the other side. She tried to open the door but found it locked and she said loudly, “Mr. Edmond, are you OK?”
She listened as the sounds continued for a few minutes and was about to get help when the noises stopped. It was followed by the sounds of two men laughing. She waited for several moments when the door opened and Royce stood in the doorway. He had a black eye but was grinning widely.
The secretary asked, “are you OK?”
Royce replied, “sure. Some other gestapo agent said he was tougher then me so we had to settle it. Get back to work and have a nice day mam.”
Once the door was closed the secretary said as she walked away, “can we have one day here without machismo theatrics. I hate this job.”

Inside the office, both Royce and Wolf sat on the floor as they nursed their wounds. They both smiled and where laughing.
Royce said, “I needed that.”
Wolf asked, “so what are you going to do?”
Royce sighed loudly. “Guess I'll join the resistance. But I'm not going to die, I promise you that.”
“Why the change of heart?”
Royce explained, “I remember why we are friends. Only guy I met who is almost as tough as me, almost. I can't let my foster brother get himself killed.”
Wolf smiled and said, “guess you need a codename. How about Unlikely Mole.”
Royce slowly got up but said, “sounds good. Wolf, there are some things I must tell you.”
Wolf, still on the floor, asked, “like what?”
“They know about Bright Star, your leader.”
Wolf said, “I haven't met her. Know anything else?”
“There is a traitor in your group, I don't know who. I'm to meet with them this weekend. Also there is something called Operation Rebirth, some plan the right has to stop a uprising but I don't know much.”
Wolf asked, “can you find out more?”
Royce then replied, “if I can find Hill's clearance code, I can find out. Give me a few days. Now, you should go. We'll talk later.”
Wolf got up and went to the door but said, “Royce, thanks. Thanks for everything.”
“Wolf, just go.”
Then they parted. Royce went to the window and looked at the palace and said, “growing old is overrated anyways.”

It was later in the day in Lilia's apartment. She stood and looked at the door when it opened and Wolf walked in, still wearing the black uniform. She rushed to him and held him and she asked, “did you see Royce?”
Wolf replied, “he is now with us. He said there is a traitor in the resistance and that the Reich has some kind of plan to stop a uprising. He will find out more.”
She then said, “Swift Rabbit will be here tomorrow. We'll tell him and see what he wants to do.” Lilia then noticed the blood around the corner of Wolf's mouth. “What happened?”
Wolf told her, “me a Royce just settled things like we sometimes do. I need to sit down.”
Then they both sat on the bed, in each others arms.



























Chapter Sixteen: Cobra and Wolf Face-Off







It is a gray overcast day as the citizens of sector zero went about there business during a cold Friday morning. Among the dilapidated tenements where many gestapo agents and there black vans patrolled the streets. The rain had tapered off the night before but there was the rumbling of thunder in the distance.
Wolf and Lilia where in her apartment eating breakfast at the small table near her bed. They both where wearing their drab gray clothes. They ate in silence for awhile until Wolf looked and her then dropped his fork ans sighed deeply.
Lilia noticed and asked, “something wrong?”
Wolf replied, “when Swift Rabbit gets here, I don't think we should tell him about Royce.”
“Why not?”
He explained, “if there is a traitor, if they learn Royce is with us they might tell the gestapo and he could be killed.”
Lilia seemed to stare at Wolf. She said, “we can trust Rabbit. Though my instincts tell me that the traitor is Cobra.”
Then there was a knock at the door. Lilia got up, Wolf remained sitting, and she went to the door and opened it to find Katsumi outside. Cobra was behind him and seemed as unhappy as ever.
Lilia said, “I'm glad to see you Rabbit.”
Katsumi nodded. “Thanks Fox. How is the leg?”
“Good enough.”
Katsumi then told her, “we need to speak alone.”
Lilia then looked back at Wolf and said, “Wolf, wait outside with Cobra.”
Wolf said nothing as he got up and left the apartment and joined Cobra out in the hallway. Once Katsumi and Lilia where alone then began to look at each other, Katsumi seemed worried.
Lilia asked, “Rabbit, you seemed troubled.”
Katsumi replied, “it is Star. I have not heard from her in days. She better be there when we meet at the ruins of the city tomorrow morning. She would not tell me what she plans to do when we last spoke, but she hinted that it would be very dangerous.”
Lilia then blurted out, “Rabbit, we might have a traitor in the resistance.”
Katsumi frowned. “How do you know that?”
Lilia told him, “I can't tell you who, but we have somebody on the inside who I think we can trust. What should we do?”
Katsumi then walked past her and looked out the apartment window. He said, “there is nothing we can do.”
She raised her voice. “But we can't do nothing.”
Katsumi's voice was low as he spoke. “If we had more time, I might have been able to flush this traitor out if your information is reliable. But our next action is tomorrow, if the leaders learn there is a traitor then we won't be able to trust each other. That might be more harmful then even if there was a traitor. So I'm asking you not to tell anyone. After our next action, we'll deal with it then.”
Lilia nodded yet seemed hesitant. She said, “I'll respect your decision Rabbit. But my money is on Cobra.”

Wolf and Cobra where in the outside hall way which was mostly empty. Wolf had his back to the other man and was deep in thought, but his pondering was interrupted when he heard the sound of the hammer of a pistol being pulled back.
Cobra said, “I said you would regret what you did.”
Wolf turned to see that Cobra had a large automatic pistol aimed right at him. Wolf raised his hands and said, “Cobra, what the hell are you doing?”
Cobra seemed angry. “You must love that Soviet bitch to risk your life by striking me.”
Then from somewhere in the apartment building came the sound of a couple arguing loudly. Cobra looked behind towards the direction of the arguing but when he looked back at Wolf, Wolf had his two pistols at him. They both scowled at each other in silence for a moment.
Cobra gritted his teeth. “OK. Maybe we should just kill each other.”
Wolf asked, “why do you hate Fox so much, she is on your side.”
Cobra still seemed angered as he told his story, though Wolf noticed there was something in the man's eyes, like some profound grief and sadness.
“All my life, I've seen my people hurt and killed by those Soviet bastards. But I wanted to just live a quiet life with my wife and two sons. That is it. One day though several Soviet soldiers showed up at my home, with orders to arrest me. Someone had told them I was subversive, a lie so they could collect a reward. My wife told me to escape out the back which I did. I left them behind because I thought they would be safe, I was wrong. As I ran, I stopped when I heard my wife scream. I hid nearby and watched those Soviet ingrates drag my family out from my house. They raped her in front of my children as I watched. After, they shot every member of my family and I did nothing. So you can understand why I hate that woman.”
Wolf lowered his guns and lowered his head. “I understand Cobra, you must carry a lot of pain.”
Cobra, gun still aimed, said, “what do you know about pain. Nothing. Nothing!”
Wolf then turned his back to him again. “Cobra, do what you must.”
Cobra then lowered his gun. He asked, “why are you not afraid?”
“Cobra,” Wolf said, “if shooting me will help console the grief and pain you must carry, then do it. But after, forgive Fox. She also carries the same pain.”
Cobra returned the gun to his holster inside his coat, and Wolf did likewise. They faced each other again and seemed to be sizing each other up. Then the door opened and Katsumi walked out. He looked at the two men and asked, “what where you two doing?”
Cobra replied, “just settling some business.”
Katsumi looked at Wolf. “Lone Wolf,” he said, “I am aware that you have been acting on your own. I would have you thrown out of this resistance, but Fox has told me you may have done something very helpful to our movement. You are on thin ice, but I'll give you another chance. She is waiting for you inside.”
Wolf silently entered the apartment and closed the door behind him. Katsumi then looked at Cobra and asked, “Cobra, what kind of sense do you have about that Wolf character?”
Cobra replied, “he belongs with us.”
Then Katsumi and Cobra walked away.

Lilia was sitting on the bed when Wolf entered the apartment. She was not looking at him. He then approached her and asked, “what did Rabbit say about the traitor?”
“He says there is nothing we can do,” Lilia replied, “but I still think it is Cobra.”
Wolf told her, “I don't think so. It must be someone else.”
Lilia looked up at him. “Why do you believe that Wolf?”
Wolf then looked at the door. “Trust me. The guy is not the traitor.”
Lilia seemed troubled when she said, “Our next action is tomorrow. Rabbit does not know what it is, but he thinks a few members of the resistance are going do be killed. Are you ready?”
Wolf then sat on the bed with her. He said, “what ever happens, we'll do this together. But what ever it takes to keep you alive, I'll do it.”
Then Lilia held him and mumbled, “this might be the last day we are together in this life. Can we just stay like this for awhile, just not saying anything.”
Wolf replied, “sure. I would like that.”
They spent the rest of the day together alone, neither saying anything.












Chapter Seventeen: The Plan Is Revealed





It is early in the day in the ruins of the forgotten city. Thunderclouds hung of the rubble of ruined monuments, the booming sound of thunder echoed throughout the wasteland as a cold rain drizzled down from the sky. A flash of lighting appeared behind the monument where the resistance had met before.
Wolf and Lilia where inside alone after they had made there way into the old city as they waited for the rest. Wolf was looking at the bronze statue as Lilia looked on, he seemed to be thinking about something.
Lilia asked, “have something to say Wolf?”
Wolf told her, “I'm just wondering who this man was. I would like to know.”
He then looked towards the base of the statue and noticed there was a sentence engraved on it.
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
Wolf then looked back up at the statue and said, “when are the rest getting here?”
She replied, “soon.”

The rest of the cell leaders arrived an hour later. Wise Elephant and Stalking Lion where talking to one side as Cobra looked out the entrance at the storm. Jumping Kangaroo leaned against the base of the statue. Katsumi was the last to arrive but when he saw that Wolf was there, Katsumi walked up to Lilia and frowned at her.
Katsumi said, “only the cell leaders should be here. Wolf is new, he should wait outside with the others.”
Lilia replied, “I want him here if you don't mind Rabbit.”
Katsumi shrugged. “Your call. Just make sure he keeps his mouth shut when Bright Star gets here, hopefully she shows up.”
Wolf heard him then walked away and stood near Kangaroo. The Australian man looked at Wolf then grinned widely. He extended his hand and said, “Jumping Kangaroo, who might you be mate?”
Wolf shook his hand and said, “Lone Wolf.”
Kangaroo then smiled and laughed. “You seem like a serious bloke. You and Fox, are you two with each other?”
Wolf looked away but said, “sort of.”
Kangaroo slapped him on the shoulder. “you lucky bugger. She is a fine woman, I would not mind being with that if you know what I mean.”
Wolf said nothing and walked away from him. The leaders talked for awhile until and weak, woman's voice spoke out from behind the statue.
“I am relieved that you all are still here.”
Bright Star walked out from behind the statue, though she seemed to be in pain as she walked. Katsumi when up to her and asked, “are you OK Star?”
She nodded. “I'll be OK Rabbit.”
Stalking Lion then spoke up next. “We've been waiting all week. I am rather anxious to find out what our next action is.”
Wise Elephant nodded. “The first phase was successful, and we did not lose a single man or woman. I understand why you lead us Star. But I am rather curious as to what you intend to do next.”
Star then looked at all of them. She said, “some of you will probably be killed. I would not want that, but it must be done.”
Stalking Lion smiled and said, “we all have agreed that we'll give our lives to destroy the Reich then Axis.”
Wise Elephant nodded as well. “Star. We'll risk anything to free all our people and this world.”
Katsumi said, “Star, what do you want us to do?”
Bright Star seemed sad but revealed the next phase of the plan.
“Tonight, the entire resistance will spread out across New Berlin before the curfew is imposed. At exactly nine, you will kill every member of the gestapo you come across. Hopefully the citizens of New Berlin will witness this and will be shown that the Reich can be hurt.”
Kangaroo laughed. “Sounds a little more thrilling then blowing up statues.”
Bright Star said, “you will form teams. You can decided who you will work with.”
Wolf then went up to Lilia and whispered in her ear. “Fox, I want Cobra to on our team.”
She whispered back, “why?”
Wolf replied, “trust me, and if he is the traitor, we can keep and eye on him.”
Bright Star noticed Wolf and Lilia talking and she approached them. She seemed to be staring at Wolf in silence. Bright Star asked, “who are you young man?”
Lilia spoke up. “Lone Wolf. He is under my command.”
Bright Star looked at Wolf more then said, “you remind of a man I knew a long time ago, a man who saved my life.”
Then she began to cough loudly and she put her hand to her mouth. When Star lowered her hand, there was blood on the palm. Star wiped the blood away with her sleeve then looked at them all and said, “Tonight, we will spill the blood of those who spill the blood of others. It may cost some of you your lives, but it is a necessary sacrifice. Now, all of you go back to your homes and prepare. Good luck to you all.”
She began to slowly walk away but Katsumi said, “thank you Star. Thank you for everything.”
As she left, she said, “thank you Rabbit and you all.”
Then she was gone and the leaders began to disperse. Wolf then stopped Cobra and they locked eyes for a moment.
Cobra demanded, “what the hell do you want?”
Wolf told him, “I want you to be on Fox's team tonight with me.”
Cobra seemed surprised. “Why?”
Wolf replied, “I would like to have you work us. Maybe it will help you and Fox learn to trust each other.”
Cobra frowned but said, “I accept, but I still don't trust her.”
Then Wolf and Lilia where alone in the monument again and they embraced each other. He stroked her hair and she said, “I'm not scared of dying Wolf.”
He asked, “but you do see scared of something, what is it?
She then looked into his eyes and said, “I do not want to see you die tonight.”
He then told her, “that won't happen.”
There was a crash of thunder outside and a flash of lighting filled the interior of the monument and as they held each other.





























Chapter Eighteen: The Traitor is Revealed






Later in the day in sector zero. Royce was standing in a alley among garbage dumpsters and trash bags strewn about everywhere. As cold rain fell upon Royce, he watched as a mongrel dog fed on scraps from a torn bag of garbage. He had been waiting twenty minutes, on the ground beside was a briefcase with a fortune in it.
This was the location the traitor had asked to meet with an agent of the gestapo, but Royce was beginning to fear he would not show. Royce intended that if he talked with this person, after he get word to Wolf so he could warn the resistance.
Royce muttered to himself, “where the hell is this person.”
The a man's voice said from behind him, “don't be so impatient mate.”
Royce turned and saw the man walking up to him, a grin plastered across the traitors face. They faced each other and Royce looked at him then asked, “what is your name?”
“Jumping Kangaroo,” he said, “but after today, I an go home a rich man and be finished with this rebel business. Just spend the rest of my days in the outback with some beer and a lot of money.”
Royce then asked, “what do you know?”
Jumping Kangaroo explained, “I have not been told where the leaders of the resistance live in sector zero, but I know where they and Bright Star meet. In that radioactive wasteland outside New Berlin. Star is probably hiding there right now.”
Royce asked, “what else?”
Jumping Kangaroo grinned and said, “Tonight, those blokes are going to start blowing away gestapo agents across New Berlin. It will be around nine. That is about all I know unfortunately. May I take my money?”
Royce picked up the briefcase and handed it to him. Jumping Kangaroo started to laugh loudly but his laughter stop when he looked inside. He dropped the empty briefcase and loudly asked, “what are you doing mate? What are you trying to pull here.”
Then there was the sound of a man clapping his hands. Royce and Kangaroo turned around to see the gestapo head Hill was standing at the entrance of the alley, behind him was twenty gestapo agents with automatic weapons. Hill ceased clapping his hands.
Kangaroo began to back away and said, “what is going on here?”
Hill smiled and said, “I wanted to give you your reward personally.”
Kangaroo turned to run but there where ten armed gestapo agents at the other end of the alley. Kangaroo put up his hands and began to softly chuckle. He said, “easy mate, I'm helping you out.”
Hill then pulled the pistol from the holster on his belt and aimed it at Kangaroo then walked slowly towards him as Royce watched.
Hill then was in front of Kangaroo and lowered the gun. “The Reich wants to thank you for your loyalty to Axis.”
Kangaroo seemed relieved when Hill raised the gun and shot him in the pelvis. Kangaroo fell to the ground as blood gushed from the wound and he looked up at Hill. Kangaroo pleaded, “I can learn more mate, let me live and I'll give you all their hands on a platter.”
Hill said, “your reward is that you will die quick instead of living a long life of daily torture.”
Kangaroo yelled when Hill pulled the trigger and a bullet went into Kangaroo's face and he lay dead in the alley in a pool of blood. Hill returned the gun to his belt and said, “was not as much help as I hoped. Glad he did not get his money.”
Royce raised his voice and asked, “sir, if you where just going to kill him, why did you want me here?”
Hill looked and Royce and smiled, “Edmond, you are gestapo. You can't spend all day in an office, you need to see traitors get what they deserve for defiance. Don't worry, tonight, this pathetic resistance will all be dead.”
Royce was puzzled. “But I thought you wanted them alive?”
Hill explained, “we did, but we don't know where they live. But we do know that they will strike tonight so we do not have much time to respond. So we'll do something to strike fear into the heart of any citizen who thinks about defiance.”
Hill began to walk away as Royce followed. Hill went to a gestapo agent and said, “order every member of the gestapo to either return to HQ or the Reich bunkers beneath the palace for twenty four hours.”
The gestapo agent nodded then he and the rest of the agents began to get into the black vans. Royce looked at Hills back and asked, “won't you need the gestapo tonight?”
Hill turned to face him. “No. The Death's Head will deal with these terrorists.”
Upon hearing the name Death's Head, Royce grew afraid. Toward the end of the life of the first Fuhrer, he created a army unit called the Death's Head. The strongest, biggest, most sadistic and psychopathic men where inducted and went through three years of training. They received daily injections of steroids as well as amphetamines and by the end they where more soulless killing machines then the men they might have once been. They where only used once to stop a uprising in Paris that had taken the city. The Death's Head killed every rebel as well as most of the people of the city, but when they where ordered to stop the Death's Head kept on slaughtering the remaining survivors. The Reich army was sent in but the Death's Head started killing them to. But by the end, the Death's Head was killed themselves though countless soldiers died. The first Fuhrer then disbanded the Death's Head, but all the world feared their memory.
Royce said, “but they are gone.”
Hill laughed and explained, “the current Fuhrer had the Death's Head formed again ten years ago. This time though, they have the best weapons and armor the Reich can provide. Impervious to small arms fire and wielding weapons that an ordinary man could not carry. After the terrorists act last week, the Fuhrer had a whole battalion flown in. We did not want to use them, but we don't have the time to act otherwise.”
Royce got more scared. “They will kill everyone they come across.”
Hill shrugged. “They will be given a single night to wipe out the resistance, as well as a lot of people of New Berlin. At dawn, the Death's Head will be neutralized to. There is a device in their armor that will inject them with enough cyanide to kill ten elephants. But bodies are going to litter the streets of the city tomorrow. Also the Luftwaffe has been ordered to bombed that old city, destroying anything that is left. Bright Star will be taken care of to.”
Royce started to walk away, intending to warn Wolf. Hill stopped him and said, “I want you to ride with me to the bunker beneath the palace. The Death's Head will slaughter gestapo to, once they start killing, they won't stop.”
Royce said nothing as he followed Hill to a black van and got in. As it drove away, Royce was afraid of what the night was to bring.


























Chapter Nineteen: Night of the Death's Head







It was almost night in New Berlin. The rain had stopped but still flashes of lightning sporadically lit up the sky as thunder echoed throughout the city. Citizens had hurried home since the curfew would soon be effect. Cars bustled in the streets and people went along the sidewalks.
A van was parked in the residential area of the city. Around it where the tall, faceless white apartment towers. Lilia sat behind the drivers wheel as Wolf looked at her from the passenger seat. Cobra was in the back, an automatic rifle lying on the man's lap. They had not spoken at all for the past hour.
Then Lilia said, “it is almost nine. We better ready get ready.”
Wolf watched the citizens and cars pass by, he then frowned. Wolf said, “should there not be gestapo everywhere.”
Cobra spoke up next. “Actually, I have not seen any of them since later this afternoon.”
Wolf then muttered, “I think something is going on.”
Lilia said, “I'm starting to get a bad feeling guys.”
Cobra then lifted the rifle and said, “I'm not worried.”
Then every info screen on the street came on, as well as all of New Berlin. On it was the face of the Fuhrer, her eyes cold. Then her voice boomed throughout the city.
“Citizens of the Reich. A terrorist faction has come to our great city as you all know. Last week they tried to destroy the resolve of our empire with a meaningless act of resistance. Tonight though, they will learn the price of defiance. Tomorrow, you will all come to realize that such audacity will never harm our glorious Reich, but it will result in the deaths of many citizens of New Berlin this night. Blame not me for what happens this night, blame the terrorists for they brought this down on you all. You will all witness why the Reich will stand for a thousand years and a thousand after that. I am sorry, but my hand has been forced. For those of you who live to see tomorrow, hate not the Reich, hates those who risk peace you have always known. Goodnight.”
Lilia looked at Wolf and said, “what is she going to do?”
Then all three of them could here ominous sounds coming from a few blocks away. The sounds of people screaming, followed by loud gunfire and explosions. Farther down the street from the van, panics citizens appeared and seemed to be running towards the vehicle and away from something. Cars raced past the van and swerved about the road.
Lilia got out from the van and stood on the street and faced the direction the people where running from, she had pulled out her revolver and readied herself. Wolf got out next, went around the van and stood beside her with his pistols in each hand. Cobra opened the vehicle's side door and stood behind them.
Lilia looked at Wolf and asked, “ready?”
They all watched as three things then walked slowly out from behind one of the apartment towers. They stood almost seven feet tall and where dressed from head to toe in black, metallic armor with a skull on the chest; the helmets they whore would sporadically release a jet of vapor and the eyes of the helmet glowed green. One was holding a gigantic Gatling gun, and it began to fire into the crowd of fleeing citizens and many of them fell down dead as their bodies where torn apart by the bullets. The other one was holding a large tube like weapon and it aimed it at a apartment tower and fired, a stream of rockets bellowed out from the weapon and holes where blown into the walls of the tower as rubble fell from the sky. The last one held a massive flamethrower which then then used to torch several small shops along the street. Then the three things stopped and looked at Wolf, Lilia and Cobra and started to laugh loudly. The things laughing was distorted and sounded almost electronic.
The three of them aimed their weapons at the armored things farther down the street and Lilia asked, “what the hell are they?”
Wolf looked at skull on the chest piece of the armor and said, “the Death's Head.”
Cobra then walked past Wolf and Lilia and started to fire his rifle. The Death's Head soldier, the one holding Gatling gun, didn't flinch as sparks jumped off it's armor from the bullets. It then looked at the three of them and pointed the Gatling gun at them which began to spin.
Lilia shouted, “get behind cover!”
They then quickly ran behind the van as it was then torn apart by the stream of bullets. Lilia threw herself to the cement ground and Wolf jumped on top of her to shield Lilia. Cobra knelled behind the van as it was ripped into pieces. Once the fire stop they all looked up.
The Death's Head shoulder who had fired then spoke, his voice electronically distorted. It said, “come out and you can die fast. We have a lot of killing to do tonight.”
Then the three Death's Head soldiers laughed again.
Wolf looked at Cobra and asked, “what do we do?”
Cobra dropped the rifle and the joyless man said, “After I take them out. Get Fox out of here.”
Lilia looked at him from the ground. “Cobra, what are you doing?”
He got up and said, “repaying you for my cowardice last week. Wolf, keep her safe; someone must survive to defeat Axis.”
Wolf nodded. “Cobra, thanks.”
Lilia and Wolf watched as Cobra stepped out from behind the van with his hands up. Then he slowly walked towards the Death's Head soldiers who all lowered their weapons and laughed.
One of the things said, “we don't take prisoners sand man.”
Then Cobra was standing a few feet in front of them when he then fell to his knees. The three Death Head's soldiers then surrounded him and then looked at each other.
One asked, “how do we kill him?”
Another replied, “I'll crush his skull beneath my boot, splatter his brains on the street.”
The last one then laughed, looked at Cobra and said, “you should have kept squatting in your cave in the desert.”
Then Cobra pulled something out from his coat. A small metal cylinder with a red button on top, a wire went from its button to inside Cobra's coat. The Death's Head all laughed.
One of them said, “do you think your little toy can hurt us.”
Cobra then pulled open his coat and revealed several sticks of plastic explosives strapped to his chest. Cobra then said, “tonight, we'll all sleep in Hell.”
The Death's Head all looked at each other when Cobra let out a piercing scream then pushed the button. All four of them disappeared in a huge explosion as a orange fireball ascended into the sky. After the smoke and dissipated, there was no trace of any of them.
Wolf and Lilia got up and looked at each other. He asked, “what are we going to do Fox?”
Lilia told him, “we have to get away from the city.”
He nodded and they turned to run when Lilia turned back to where Cobra had been and whispered, “I'll never forget you Cobra.”
Then she and Wolf ran in the direction the panicked citizens had fled.

A few blocks away. Wolf and Lilia ran down the street which was now full of rubble and bodies, most of the surviving citizens had either taken refuge in the towers or in alleys. Fires had broken out all over the residential zone. Explosions could be heard coming from every direction.
Farther down the street, a little girl sat on the ground over the body of a woman. The child cried and muttered, “wake up mamma, please.”
Wolf and Lilia stopped and watched as a single Death's Head appeared from the entrance to an alley, a flamethrower in its hands. Once it saw the kid it laughed and slowly approached her. The girl looked up and once she looked into the glowing green the child began to scream. The Death's Head dropped its weapon and picked the girl up and lifted her up into the air as the child yelled.
The thing said, “I think I'm going to pull both your arms right out of their sockets.”
Then Lilia started running towards the two of them with her revolver aimed at it. Wolf was right behind her with one of his guns out. The Death's Head noticed and lowered the child but did not let go. Lilia then fired a single shot which went right into one of its glowing green eyes and it stumbled back, dropping the girl. Then Wolf ran past Lilia and then climbed up the front of the Death's Head armor and pressed his gun into the broken eye piece of helmet and repeatedly fired. The Death's Head let out a scream then fell back onto the ground with Wolf on top of it. It writhed around for a brief moment then stopped moving. Wolf got up and both he and Lilia went to the girl.
Lilia asked, “are you OK little girl?”
She nodded but was still crying. Then a man appeared from behind a car, ran to them and picked up the girl. He hugged her and looked at Wolf and Lilia. The man said,
“thank you for saving my daughter.”
Lilia turned to Wolf and said, “we have to get a vehicle.”
The man looked back at the small at the small car he had come out from behind then face Lilia and Wolf again. He pulled some keys out from his coat and handed them to Lilia. He said, “take my car. Please.”
Lilia looked at the man and told him, “go somewhere safe.”
The man nodded and ran off with his child. Wolf and Lilia got into the car and sped off.

As Lilia drove quickly through the streets, she glanced at Wolf beside her and said, “we have to get to the old city!”
Wolf was about to say something when a car in front of them exploded. He looked backed and realized that a large, black armored truck was following them and gaining. A Death's Head was standing out from a hatch on the truck's roof, holding one of those rapid repeat rocket launchers. It fired several times and the car swerved about as explosions blasted areas near the fleeing car.
In the distance was a long bridge, it led out from New Berlin towards the ruins of the old city; it stood at least a hundred feet over a river. The car then started to drive across the bridge.
Both Lilia and Wolf looked towards the horizon in the direction of the old city. They they saw the flashes of gigantic explosions in the area of the ruins and Lilia turned to Wolf.
“What are we going to do?”
Wolf said nothing when he realized that another Death's Head truck was parked at the other end of the bridge. Instead of slowly down, Lilia floored the accelerator and the car picked up speed.
Wolf looked at her and asked, “Fox, what are you doing?”
She then said, “if we are going to die tonight, it will be together.”
Then she jerked the wheel and the car barrel towards a barrier along one side of the bridge. Wolf and Lilia then held each others hand when the car hit the barrier and crashed through it; it then plummeted and vanished into the blackish water.
The truck that had been perusing them came to a rumbling stop. Two Death's Head got out and walked to the broken barrier and looked down at the water. Then they both laughed.
One said, “I'm bored. We have a lot more people to kill.”
They walked to the truck and got in. Then it drove towards New Berlin as the night's orgy of death continued.

 

[Autodidact_33]

Chapter Twenty: The Day After





When dawn broke over New Berlin and a bright day loomed ahead, the chaos had ceased. The citizens where in their homes in the state of terror and shock. The streets where full of bodies, both of citizens and the Death's Head after their suicide countermeasures had been activated. The cities fire department had begun to put out the fires which raged all over New Berlin as Reich laborers begun the grim process of removing the bodies and cleaning of the rubble. Before the prior night's events, the citizens had begun to cling to the unlikely hope that the Reich's end was on the horizon. Now they feared the Reich more then ever, and had started to hate the resistance for bringing this down on them all. It would later be learned that more then ten thousand citizens had been lost.
It would be a day of loss and grief for the citizens of New Berlin.

Farther down the river from the bridge, Wolf sat on the riverbank beside the unconscious Lilia as he looked at her and hoped she would awake. He had dragged her out from the river later in night but was horrified to find that she was of breathing. He then gave her CPR and was relieved when she spat out some water from her mouth and started breathing again. He had been at her side ever since.
Wolf looked at the rising sun and sighed deeply. Then Lilia began to mumble.
“Wolf, Wolf, where are you.”
He looked at her and said, “right here Fox.”
She opened her eyes then slowly sat up. She was shaking so Wolf put his arms around her and she began to sob. She rested her head against him and seemed unable to speak.
Wolf softly said, “everything is alright.”
She was on the verge of tears and began to blurt things out. “This is all our fault. Cobra is dead. Probably everyone else in the resistance as well as Star. The Reich murdered thousands of their own citizens because of us. We are responsible for all of it.”
Wolf tried to sound consoling. He told her, “Fox, it was not your fault.”
She sobbed harder. “I should have just accepted how the world is. We can't change it, maybe it is wrong to even try.”
Wolf said, “you don't mean that Fox.”
She began shaking her head. “We've lost.”
Wolf asked her, “what do you want to do?”
She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. She said between tears, “let's go away, far away.”
“Where,” Wolf asked, “where can we go?”
She replied, “maybe South America. With no travel permits it will be hard, but we can try.”
Wolf then brushed the tears away from her cheek and said, “and what will we do if we get there?”
Lilia told him, “just spend the rest of our lives together. Hide and grow old.”
Wolf looked into her eyes and seemed very serious. “Fox, I'm not giving up yet.”
Lilia seemed shocked by his words. She said, “there are only two of us left. Us alone can't defeat the entire Reich and all of Axis.”
Wolf's embrace grew tighter. “We still have to try.”
Lilia said, “you only joined us to protect me, if we run then we can live as man and wife. I know you really don't care about my failed revolution, I think you would want to get far away.”
Wolf replied, “I want that more then anything. But I care about you, and I know by now you will never be happy while Axis has the entire world in its clutches. We may not stand a chance, but we'll try.”
Lilia asked, “what can you and me do Wolf? We are probably the only ones left.”
Wolf told her, “Royce could help us. We'll do what ever it takes. We'll do it together.”
Lilia then smiled. “Thank you Wolf.”
Wolf looked towards New Berlin in the distance as black plumes of smoke ascended over the city. He then said, “we'll go back to the city and find somewhere we can hide. Hide until we figure out what to do.”
Lilia's crying began to stop and she asked, “are you sure you don't want to give up?”
Wolf nodded. “If we run, no matter where we go, Axis will still have their boot to not just our throats but all the people of this world. Maybe we can't win, but sometimes you still have to wage a fight even though you don't stand a chance.”
Lilia then said, “Wolf, I want to tell you something.”
“What Fox?”
“In school,” she said, “I knew you used to look at me in class. To be honest, I was doing the same thing. I would look at you sometimes.”
“Why did you never tell me?”
She confessed, “because I knew that if you got into a relationship with a Soviet girl, it would have cost you everything. I wanted to spare you that. But now, I wish I had told you long ago.”
Wolf then said, “so Fox, are you still going to surrender?”
She then rested her head against his shoulder. “No, not now or ever.”
Wolf smiled and said, “well Fox, I guess it is just you and me against the entire world now.”
She told him, “maybe that will be enough.”
Wolf then got to his feet pulling Lilia up with him and they both looked towards in the distance. They just watched New Berlin for awhile until they started to walk towards the capital of the Reich. Both where unsure what the future held for them, but no matter what was to come, they would go through it together.








































Chapter Twenty-One: Royce's Self Disgust





Royce was in his office as morning drag on and he stood before the window and looked solemnly at the palace. At the moment, not only did he hate that monument of the Reich but also hate himself. All his life he had witnessed the tyranny of the world he had always known and never once did it bother him; he just wanted to live a long happy life. It the past days he had decided to try and help stop the Reich, but he felt maybe there was more he could do.
He had arrived in his office early on in the morning once the gestapo had left the safety of the bunkers beneath the palace. He had emerged from those caverns where the gestapo cowered to find New Berlin a wasteland of death and destruction. He knew Wolf and everyone else in the resistance was dead, as well as many citizens. How could the Reich do this he thought, massacre its own people in such an open and blatant fashion; destroying much of their own capital. It was at that moment that he realized that the Reich was insane, but felt sorrow because he believed that it was also invincible. Royce wished that he could be some place where the world was not one of death and darkness.
Royce sighed heavily then sat at his desk and looked at his computer. He had work to do, since the resistance was neutralized he had been returned to more mundane gestapo work. He would have quite in disgust, but it would have cost him his life and he still wanted to live a long life. He just looked blankly at the screen before him.
Then the door to the office opened and Hill walked in, the man seemed overjoyed and exuberant. Grinning widely, he looked at Royce and said, “what a glorious day in New Berlin.”
Royce, full of hatred for the man, did not look at him as he said, “what do you mean? Countless people are dead, much of the city destroyed. What did last night gain the Reich?”
Hill seemed to look Royce over but then explained, “a necessary loss. But now, no citizen of the Reich or any other zone will have the balls to pull a stunt like this again. People have realized that trying to rise up will only result in not only their death's but the death's of many others.”
Royce then asked, “have you found the bodies of the resistance members yet?”
Hill shook his head. “There are to many bodies for us to sort it all out. But even if some of those ingrates survived, which I doubt, they probably sooner kill themselves then oppose us.”
Royce bit his lip but said, “well, I guess after last night's mess in cleaned up, things in New Berlin can return to normal.”
Hill then sat in the chair before Royce desk. He told Royce, “the Death's Head did the Reich and all people of this Earth a service.”
Royce lowly said, “by slaughtering thousands?”
Hill then frowned and replied, “had this insipid revolution even had a chance of succeeding, a lot more then a few thousand citizens died. If the Reich had been over thrown, then the death tole would have been in the billions.”
Royce then looked up at the screen and stared at Hill. Royce asked, “what are you talking about sir?”
Hill explained, “Operation Rebirth. I still cannot give you all the details, but since those terrorists first act of defiance; the Fuhrer was seriously considering resorting to it. But now, life can continue and people will know that opposing us means death. Today, every citizen of the Reich will have a constant companion. Fear.”
Royce then returned to looking at his screen and said, “well, guess I won't have to help you sort out this mess anymore.”
Hill then stated, “your foster brother is mostly likely dead to, this so called Lone Wolf.”
Royce muttered, “probably in a better place.”
Hill then grinned again. “Royce, I like that you value your own interests over that then even those who are closest to you. When we first began to associate with each other, I feared you may have had the personality flaw of a conscience. A real liability in this profession.”
Royce frowned. “I just want to stay alive and stay safe. That is it.”
“Good,” Hill said, “and now that this insurgency is crushed, that will be a lot easier. Stick with me my boy, and the world can be yours. The Reich rewards its servants as you will find out in the coming years.”
Royce told him, “we'll see I guess.”
Hill then reached into a pocket of his black uniform and pulled out a key and threw it a Royce who caught it. Royce looked at the key and asked, “what is this?”
Hill explained, “well, though you where not instrumental in helping us stop these terrorists; I still felt you needed a reward. A token of gratitude.”
Royce asked, “what does the key open?”
Hill smiled. “Your new penthouse apartment in the residential zone. There was a nicer one, but it was destroyed in lasts nights fighting. But your new home, it is something that would make any citizen envious. A life of luxury awaits you, if you stick with us.”
Royce then put the key in a pocket and said, “thank you sir.”
Hill then said, “why don't you take the day off. Go see your new residence. Relax. Beside, I do not think there is a citizen in the entire city who will so much as sneeze today. You can return to work tomorrow.”
Royce nodded then got up. He said, “thanks, I need a day off anyways. I would like to be alone.”
Hill then got up but said, “Edmond, I want to groom you to be my left hand here. And in many years, I want you to take my place in the gestapo.”
Royce's stomach got upset and the prospect of several more decades in the black uniform he whore; he wanted to punch Hill right in the face more then anything. But he simply ignored the feeling, for he knew there was nothing he could do. But at that moment, he was full of guilt for who he was and what he now stood for by the uniform he wore.
Royce said, “well, sir, I will see you tomorrow.”
Before Royce left, Hill told him, “and Edmond, find some woman tonight and have some fun. You seem tense, I think you could use a little relaxation.”
Royce said nothing and just silently left the office, unsure what to do. And he came to the realization there was nothing he could do, just spend the rest of his life hating himself and this world he had always known.
































Chapter Twenty-Two: The Resistance Continues







It was noon in sector zero. The many fires from the night before had been put out, but large parts of the sector lay in ruin. The bodies had been cleared away though most citizens of this part of New Berlin remained home so the streets where deserted. Gestapo agents patrolled the streets, though in few numbers since they where sure that the citizens desire to resist had been thwarted.
Royce stood in the center of Lilia's apartment and looked around. He was sure Wolf had perished the prior night, but had gone to Lilia's home with the vain hope that he would be there. When he had found it empty, he felt despair and was unsure what to do. He then walked towards the door and mumbled to himself.
“Wolf, I guess you will find that peace you always wanted.”
But just then the front door opened and Wolf walked in, followed by Lilia. Royce jaw then hung open and he then grinned. He said, “I can't believe this.”
Wolf looked at Royce, surprised, then asked, “what the hell are you doing here?”
Royce replied, “I was hoping to find you here. Why the are you here, shouldn't you be trying to escape?”
Lilia then went to the table, the medical bag full of money was still on it, and she picked it up. She then turned to Royce and said, “we needed to get some things?”
Royce looked at her and asked, “what are you two going to do next?”
Wolf then said, “lay low for awhile, until we figure out what we are going to do next. How to best fight the Reich.”
Royce seemed stunned. “After last night, you still are going to go on with this?”
Lilia said, “if we surrender, then everyone who died last night died in vain.”
Royce looked very seriously at Wolf and told him, “I was talking to my superior this morning. He is convinced the resistance is defeated and no one will ever try again. But he sounded like even if the Reich can be overthrown, they will kill almost every man, woman and child on Earth.”
Lilia asked, “what do you mean?”
“Operation Rebirth,” Royce said, “some plan to deal with an insurrection.”
Lilia seemed doubtful. “As evil and inhuman as Axis is, why would they do that? What would it gain them?”
Wolf then stepped towards Royce, he said, “you said you could get your superiors access code and find out. Can you still do that?”
Royce nodded. “After last night, it will be my pleasure.”
Lilia then asked, “do you know if anyone from the resistance survived?”
Royce explained, “there are to many dead for the gestapo to be sure. If you two survived, then maybe some of your friends did as well.”
Wolf then said, “we have to know how the Reich intends to stop a revolt, what Operation Rebirth is and how to prevent them from using it.”
Royce then told Wolf, “there may just be us three now. The odds exactly are not in our favor.”
Lilia was looking at Royce. She said, “it will have to be enough.”
Royce asked, “what are you two doing next?”
Lilia told him, “see if we can find any of the other resistance members if they still live.”
Royce then turned to Wolf and said, “you said you two needed a place to hide out.”
Wolf nodded. Then Royce pulled the key out from his pocket and threw it to Wolf who caught it.
Wolf asked, “what is this for?”
Royce replied, “I was just given a luxury apartment. It is the apartment on the top floor of tower 752 in the residential district. I doubt anyone would think to look for you two in the residence of a gestapo agent.”
Lilia then said, “we'll be staying with you?”
Royce smiled and shook his head. “Something tells me you two are not want to have some third wheel hanging around so you'll have free run of the place. Beside, I never want to see the bloody place. Both of you, go there and stay safe.”
Wolf asked, “where you going Royce?”
Royce replied, “my parent's apartment. I would like to spend some time with them, and make sure they are all right. Once I found out the specifics of Operation Rebirth, I'll get word to you both.”
Wolf said, “thanks for everything Royce. You where right, I owe you a lot.”
Royce replied, “this time I owe you. Guess I needed someone to open my eyes finally.”
Lilia then stepped up to Royce and smiled at him. She said, “we'll be in your debt for the rest of our lives. Thank you Royce.”
Royce shrugged. “If you want to repay me, then win. Win the day.”
Wolf said, “OK. Guess we should get ready for what ever comes next.”
Then Lilia and Wolf went to leave, but before they departed Royce said, “well, guess it is up to the three of us now. Our chances are about as good as a snowballs chance in hell, but we'll certainly try.”
Wolf and Lilia then where gone leaving Royce alone. He said to himself, “and Hill, I promise I'll settle things with you personally soon enough. I'll take my badge and shove it down your god damn throat, hopefully into your black heart.”
Royce then left as well.


Chapter Twenty-Three: Coming Together







Night fell over New Berlin. In the residential district was tower 752, a circular structure which was the tallest building in this part of the city. It was home to the more successful and prosperous citizens of New Berlin. Around where other towers, many of which had sustained damaged from the events of the night before. A carpet of glittering stars hung over the city.
The penthouse apartment loomed 62 stories of the streets, it was spacious a full of expensive furniture. There was a living room surrounded by a plate glass window which one to could out over the entire city. There was a luxurious bathroom with a large bathtub with gold faucets. The large kitchen with appliances that the vast majority of citizens of the Reich could not possibly afford. And there was a bedroom with a gigantic bed with silk linens and over which hung a cloth canopy.
Wolf and Lilia had arrived just before dusk, neither had ever been in apartment so large and decadent; they had always known homes that where small and confining. As night began, Wolf stood in front of the window which encircled the apartment and looked out over the city. The sound of a shower being run came from the bathroom. He turned to the bathroom door and just looked silently at it. Then he returned to gazing out at all of New Berlin.
Then the sound of the shower ceased and after several moments Lilia walked out, one towel wrapped around her body as she dried her hair with another. She then looked at Wolf and walked up behind him.
“Thinking about something Wolf,” she asked.
He solemnly looked out over the city and replied, “it is nothing Fox.”
Lilia then wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her face into the back of his neck. She said, “I know something is on your mind, I would like to know what it is.”
Wolf then told her, “I just wish I knew what the coming days are going to bring. What the future holds for you and I.”
She giggled then whispered, “if we knew that, then we would know everything. But what ever it is will be a surprise.”
Wolf said, “I wish the others where still here, Rabbit and Cobra; all the others. I guess they are all gone.”
Lilia, saddened by the memory of her comrades, replied, “they where willing to give their lives to defeat Axis. If they are all gone, then maybe we will get the chance to avenge them as well as countless other people of this world.”
Wolf muttered, “if it is just you and me now Fox, maybe we can't win the day, but will certainly try. There is a lot riding on you and I now, if we cannot stop Axis; then I think no one will ever be able to.”
Lilia then laughed though still was sad. She said, “you are right, both of us now have a large weight on our shoulders and a lot is riding on us.”
Wolf then turned away from the window, they faced each other and locked eyes. He told her, “what ever it takes, even if we cannot stop the Reich; we'll certainly give it everything we.”
Lilia ran her hand down Wolf's cheek and she said, “I wish you and I and met in a world where we could have been together and not be surrounded by so much hardship and despair. Met in a world where we could have been happy.”
Wolf lowered his head as she still touched his face. He said, “maybe we did not meet in such a world, but maybe we can make that world a reality.”
Lilia replied, “even if there is no way we can bring that world about, we'll certainly give our lives in the attempt.”
Then then leaned forward and they kissed in front of the window. They continued for awhile until they pulled away from each other and just stared at one another for a few minutes in silence.
Wolf asked, “are you scared at all Fox?”
Lilia then told him, “the entire Reich, the gestapo, even the Death's Head; they don't scare me in the least. The only thing I fear is that soon I might have to go on without you.”
Wolf smiled. “I'm not going anywhere, not now our ever.”
Then they held each other then she said, “thanks for everything Wolf.”
Wolf hesitated for a moment but then said, “Fox, maybe it is the right time.”
Lilia looked at him, she seemed very vulnerable suddenly, and she asked, “why now Wolf?”
Wolf put his hand beneath her chin and lifted her face so they could look at each other. He said, “might be the last chance we ever have. We'll have one night where we can escape this world by being together, and after we can do what must be done.”
Lilia then smiled and said, “you must have been waiting so long for this.”
Wolf told her, “before I first saw you again in New Berlin months ago, I felt that there was no reason to go on. But now, for the first time in my entire life I feel I have a purpose. I somethings think what we would have been had we not met.”
Lilia then said, “but we did meet. Wolf, I should have realized you where the one for me when we where still young.”
She then kissed him again then took his hand and dragged him towards the bedroom. As they entered, they kissed as she dropped her towel and Wolf shed his gray clothes. They fell into the bed in each others arms and for one night, they where in a world where they could be happy. For that night, there was no Reich or Axis; there where only two people together.
Outside the stars continued to hang over the city.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Reich's Rebirth






It was the following morning in gestapo headquarters. On the top floor not far from Royce's office was the office of Hill which was now empty. It was large and adorned with expensive trinkets. There where pictures on the walls, including a portrait of the first Fuhrer.
Everything was silent when the door slowly opened and Royce leaned in. Once hew saw that the office was empty, he entered and closed the door behind him. He then stood in the middle of the office and looked around.
He muttered to himself, “if I was a pompous, sadistic bastard, where would I hide something I did not want people to find.”
Royce then went to the desk and searched the drawers. All he found where papers and documents. He then walked around the office, worried that he would not find Hill's access code. But then Royce noticed the portrait of the original Fuhrer, he looked at it for a moment and smirked.
Royce said under his breath, “Hill, would you really be so obvious.”
When Royce pulled the picture off the wall, a small plastic card then fell to the ground since it was behind the portrait. Royce put the picture back on the wall then picked up the card. Hill's name was on it, as well as the gold iron cross symbol. Royce smiled as he looked at the card.
Royce quipped, “Hill, you should really hide your stuff better.”
He then left the office.

Royce was at his desk and had inserted the card into his computer which gave him access to the most classified files of the gestapo. Then he accessed the Operation Rebirth file and as Royce read, he became greatly afraid.
Once Axis had conquered the world, the first Fuhrer grew worried that the people might one day rise up and challenge his rule. He was also not content to share the world with the other Axis powers and secretly looked for a way to prepare for a global uprising. But the technology of the time time made this difficult. Soon after the Fuhrer death, his successor then finalized her fathers ambition. The Luftwaffe had built a gigantic base on the moon, Moon Base Alpha near the sea of Tranquility. For the past few decades the Reich had been collecting genetic samples of most of the life on Earth and these samples had been stored in a massive vault in the lunar base. Vast hydroponic facilities had been built which could sustain the bases inhabitants for centuries. A decade before, the Reich had finished construction of a gigantic particle accelerator on the moon's surface which was used to created a explosive material using something called anti-matter which could instantly convert matter into energy and was unequaled in destructive power. A large fleet of Luftwaffe space bombers had been stationed at Moon Base Alpha which could reach Earth in two days. In the event that there was a global uprising which Axis could not thwart, then the highest and most powerful members of the Reich would secretly be taken to the moon. Once there, the space bombers then would depart for Earth. Once there, they would use this advanced weapon to destroy all life on Earth. The survivors of the Reich would then return to Earth in 500 years and rebuild their empire again.
Royce then gasped and said, “they are out of their bloody minds.”
Just then the door opened and Hill walked in, the large man seemed angry. Royce quickly pulled the key card from the computer and hid it under the desk, the screen went blank.
Royce asked, “something wrong sir?”
Hill grimaced as he said, “we have just received news that riots are breaking out in several Reich cities, among them Paris and Old Berlin. Thousands of citizens are openly fighting the gestapo, our people are opening fire but these rioters but it does not seem to convince them to stop. All the other Axis zones are reporting similar incidents, and their armies and security services are massacring these fools, but they still are openly revolting.”
Royce said, “why are they rioting?”
Hill seemed more upset. “The entire world knows about the attempted insurrection in New Berlin, my hunch is that these stupid bastards have been inspired to try and rise up. The Fuhrer has sent in the Death's Head, they are on route to the afflicted cities.”
Royce replied, “they should stop it sir.”
Hill then looked behind Royce and said, “the Fuhrer has decided to prepare for that solution to revolt, our most valuable people are being evacuated to Moon Base Alpha as we speak. The Reich will survive, I can't say the same for the people of this world. I think you know what I mean. Edmond, you'll be glad I took you under my wing; it might just save your life. If this revolt becomes more wide spread, then the Fuhrer will be escorted to the base. Once all our people are there, then we'll teach these people why the Reich will live forever.”
Royce got up and said, “sir, I have some business to attend to. I'll be back in a few hours.”
Royce went to leave but Hill grabbed his arm and looked at him, “where are you going Edmond?”
Royce told him, “just going to see my parents to make sure they are all right.”
Hill said, “don't get to attached to them, worry about your own life.”
“Yes,” Royce replied, “I will.”
Then Royce excited through the door and Hill was alone. He looked around the office when he saw some shiny under Royce's desk. Hill went to it and picked the object up, when he saw that it was his access card, he frowned and gritted his teeth.
Hill, in a deep voice, said, “guess you where not as smart as I hope you where Edmond. I told you the price of betrayal. I'll kill you myself.”








































Chapter Twenty-Five: The Last Hope





Later that morning in the penthouse apartment, Wolf and Lila stood before the window and held each other as they watched over the city. They both where dressed in their clothing and seemed to be silent.
The Lilia said, “so, what should we do now?”
Wolf frowned and replied, “I wish I knew.”
Then there was knock at the front door, Wolf and Lilia let go of each other and looked at the door. Lilia remained by the window as Wolf pulled out one of his pistols from the holster hidden inside he coat. He readied the gun as he approached the door slowly. He then pressed the barrel of the gun against the door and he loudly said, “who is there?”
There was silence. Wolf looked back at Lilia then turned to the door and started to twist the knob. He slowly opened the door when a voice from the other side said, “Fox, Wolf. I'm glad you still are alive.”
Wolf stood back as Katsumi entered the apartment. When Lilia saw she, she smiled and ran to him and hugged him. Katsumi then laughed as Wolf watched them. Then Bright Star start entered through the door, but it seemed much step caused her great pain. No one said anything as Star made her may to the couch and sat on it. She seemed gripped by some profound grief.
Katsumi then stepped away from Lilia but asked, “how the hell did you two survive?”
Lilia replied, “it was not easy.”
Katsumi then said, “Cobra?”
Lilia seemed sorrowful as she told him, “he died so Wolf and I could escape. What happened to you Rabbit? Are any of the others still alive?”
Katsumi frowned and glumly said, “I told you I'm called Swift Rabbit cause I can swiftly escape trouble. I was with Stalking Lion and Wise Elephant. They where both killed, but they took several of these Death's Head abominations with them.”
Wolf asked, “how did you find us here?”
Katsumi explained, “as an upstanding fascist on paper, it was not hard for me to research your history Wolf. I discovered you had a foster brother who works in the gestapo, and I remembered you two said you had someone on the inside. It did not take a genius to connect the dots.”
Lilia looked and Star then turned back to Katsumi and asked, “why was Star killed when they bombed the old city.”
“Because,” Katsumi explained, “she was not hiding in the ruins, she has been in New Berlin all along.”
Bright Star began to mutter as a tear formed in the eye covered by the tattoo.
“I've failed. The death of my people will never be avenged. The Reich has one, my whole life wasted. I was arrogant enough to believe I could defeat Axis.”
Katsumi lowered his voice so Star could not hear. He said, “she is dying. Probably doesn't have a week left. She asked me to help her get into the palace so she can confront the Fuhrer herself.”
Wolf asked, “how can the two of you make it to her? The place will be defended by a lot of elite gestapo?”
Katsumi told him, “it is Star's dying request. I really can't say no. We'll do our best to make it to the throne room.”
Then the door opened and they all watched Royce run in, wearing his gestapo uniform and holding a gym bag. He seemed out of breath and was panting. When Star saw the uniform she said, “damn you!”
Wolf looked at the frail old woman and said, “he is on our side.”
Royce dropped the gym bag and turned to Wolf. He explained, “Wolf, today riots are breaking out in cities in every Axis zone.”
Then Star seemed to regain her composure. She said, “then maybe all is not lost. Maybe there still is hope for victory.”
Royce seemed worried as he told them, “you don't understand. If the people rise up and Axis can't stop it, the Reich will destroy everything; kill everybody on Earth.”
Lilia asked, “why, won't it kill them to?”
Royce shook his head. “That base the Luftwaffe built on the moon, it is meant to preserve members of the Reich for five centuries. They'll use space bombers that are stationed on the moon to use some kind of weapon, and someday they'll return to Earth and rebuild the Reich.”
Wolf then exchanged glances with Lilia and said, “then I guess it is up to us to get up there and stop them.”
Royce looked at the gym bag then turned to Wolf and said, “I thought you would say that Wolf. Inside the bag is a Luftwaffe uniform and fake identification. The Luftwaffe is launching space planes from the base outside New Berlin to evacuate the high level members of the Reich. Go there and and get on one of those planes, get the moon and see what you can do.”
Wolf looked at Lilia and she smiled at him. Wolf turned back to Royce and said, “I need Fox. Can you help get here on board?”
Royce nodded. “I knew she would have to go with you. Inside the bag is another forged identification card, she will pose as the daughter of a high level member of the Reich. Though she should not talk, her accent will give you two away.”
Wolf then look towards Star and said, “Bright Star needs to get into the palace so she can face the Fuhrer. Can you help her?”
Royce replied, “sure. During the Death's Head attack, I was in the bunkers with the rest of the gestapo. There are tunnels all over New Berlin which can take you into the palace, there is one passage that will take you into the throne room. But once she gets in there and deal with the Fuhrer, there is no way to get away most likely. There is an access tunnel a few blocks from the palace, the entrance code is the birth date of the original Fuhrer. It should be empty since the tunnels are only used during emergencies,”
Star looked at Royce and said, “thank you young man.”
Royce said, “thank me by giving that bitch what she deserves.”
Katsumi told Star, “when we get into throne room, I hold off the palace guard as long as I can. Besides, going out in a blaze of glory sounds like a good way to go.”
Lilia looked at Royce. “We are all in our debt Royce.”
He turned to her and said, “the fate of over six billion people is riding on you two. It won't be easy, the base will probably be manned by hundreds of elite gestapo as well as a squad of Death's Head. Also, I'm not sure how you can stop the Reich from destroying the world.”
Wolf looked at Royce and said, “we'll be able to do it.”
Royce then extended his hand and shook Wolf's hand as they both nodded.
Wolf said, “if we never meet again Royce, you have always been a real brother to me. I'm glad that we where friends. Give your parents my best.”
Royce then slapped Wolf on the shoulder and said, “Wolf, if you and Fox pull this off; this may be the most epic tail that ever gets told. You two might save the world. If mankind is here in a million years, they'll still be telling this story.”
Wolf said, “the is room in that tail for you two Royce.”
Royce then looked at all of them. “A Luftwaffe space plane is going to launch in three hours so you two might want to get going.”
Then Lilia kissed Royce on the cheek. “Royce, you came through for us. If we and Wolf are successful, it was only because of you.”
Royce grinned and told her, “I always thought Wolf was a fool for falling for you Lilia, but, I guess I was the fool. Keep him safe.”
“Goodbye Royce,” she said.
Katsumi then went to the couch and helped Star limp out of the apartment. Royce then looked at Wolf one last time and said, “I'm going to be at gestapo headquarters, I'll be hoping that you show the Reich that it has this coming.”
Lilia got her revolver and she and Wolf went to the door, but before he left; he turned to Royce and said, “Royce, live a long life; like you always wanted.”
Royce nodded. “Well, that is entirely up to you. Now get up there a kick some ass.”
The foster brothers took one last look at each other then Wolf and Lilia left; taking the gym bag with them. Once Royce was alone, he smiled and said, “Wolf, guess being a stubborn hard headed guy might save the day here. I'll miss you buddy.”
Then Royce left as well. Outside the window of the apartment was New Berlin, it's people unaware that their fate and the fate of the world was in the hands of a few. It the next few days, either the resistance would prevail or the Reich would ensure its survival. The final battle of the war was about to begin.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Royce Returns to Headquarters






Royce arrived at Gestapo HQ an hour later. The black van he drove came to a stop near the front entrance, as soon as the vehicle parked on the side of the street, Royce noticed that Hill was waiting outside. Behind him where around ten men in black uniforms all who where heavily armed. Royce emerged from the van and started to walk towards the front doors. When Hill saw him approach, he grinned at Royce who then approached his superior.
Royce asked, “is something going on sir?”
Hill still grinned and he said, “Edmond, I know you stole my access card.”
Royce replied, “I was curious. I just wanted to know more about Operation Rebirth sir.”
Hill then stopped grinning. “I thought you may say something like that, so I had someone of our people examine your computer. I know you changed the address the of the that acquittance of your foster brother.”
Royce would have tried to lie, but he knew he had been discovered. He just looked blankly at Hill and said, “I guess this means I won't be your successor now sir.”
Hill laughed. “Well Edmond, even though I'm going to kill you, you still have a sense of humor.” He turned to the men behind him and ordered, “take him to the holding cells, you know which one.”
Several of Hill's men then went to Royce and placed shackles on him as he said nothing. They started to lead him away when Hill spoke up.
“Edmond, you are about to find out what happens to those of our profession who betray our confidence. Your fellow agents will spend the next few days beating you to the verge of death, get you to tell us who you told. I think you spilled your guts to the terrorists out of some misplaced sense of what is right. We'll find out. Even if they win, it will just mean the death of over six billion people. Had you not betrayed me, you would have survived.”
Royce then flatly said, “I would rather die down here with everyone else that hide up on the base with you sir.”
“A sorry thing,” Hill told him, “some misplaced sense of ethics. We'll find out everything then kill you. You won nothing. And Edmond, two gestapo agents are going to show up at your parents home tonight with orders to detain them; they will never be heard from again. And don't blame me, this is all your fault. Now, get the hell out of my sight.”
Royce then spit in his Hill's face then said, “ consider that might resignation sir.”
Hill then wiped the spittle away from his face and frowned. “Well Edmond, like to see that you did not beg for your life. Now, get ready for the worst few days of your short life.”
Then the agents led Royce inside as Hill followed.

 

[Autodidact_33]

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Captain Jansen






Dusk.
Far outside New Berlin was the Luftwaffe base. It was a vast complex of buildings hangers surrounded by a cement barriers. Right now vehicles where pouring into the base the base and there was commotion as activity went on everywhere. About three miles from the base was the launch rail. It was a massive rail that stretched across a flat surface for thirty miles. At the end of the rail closets to the base was a Luftwaffe space plane designed for cargo, the massive silver ship that looked like a common plane towards the front but had a massive rocket thruster at the back. Right now worked where loading cargo into through the open bay doors.
In the commotion, no one noticed the young man and woman make their way through the base.

In the cockpit of the cargo vehicle where two men. The cockpit was full of instruments and four chairs, the front two which sat the pilots. Behind the controls was Luftwaffe pilot Jansen, the lean man in the gray uniform had his feet up on the control board before him and was smiling as he looked out the front window. He had messy blonde hair and was in his early thirties, and he seemed overjoyed.
Jansen turned to his co-pilot. The older pilot was a large man with a shaven head and glasses. He looked at the clipboard as he checked things off.
Jansen smiled as he said, “I think base commander Brenner is starting to respect my skills, letting back in the cockpit for the first time in two years?”
The co-pilot shook his head. “I doubt that. When ever he needs you, he tells someone to find the stupidest man at the base.”
Jansen thought for a moment. “He must be talking about someone else.”
The co-pilot looked at him. “The only reason he let you back behind the controls is because with all the activity and officials that have been arriving at the base is because he wants you as far away from him a possible.”
Jansen smirked. “I think you are wrong. I wonder what is going on though, those giant facilities near facilities near the base. They've been powered up, they've been empty since I was posted there five years ago.”
The co-pilot said, “we fly cargo, it is none of our business.”
Jansen then looked back out the window before him at the track ahead. He said, “I bet it has something to do with those rebels and the riots. Say, once we get out of Earth orbit; about we riot. I'll torch the cargo manifest, you can destroy the controls with a metal pipe. Let's break some stuff.”
The co-pilot was not amused. “You know how the commander feels about your sense of humor.”
Jansen then chucked. “It is not easy being the only guy posted up there with one.”
The radio was located near the controls. He then pushed a button a loud music filled the cockpit, men screaming lyrics to the sound of electrical instruments. Jensen started nodding his head when the co-pilot hit the button and the music stopped.
Jansen looked at him and said, “the control is launching three other flights at this moment, they won't know I turned on music.”
“Jensen,” the co-pilot said, “you know the deal we made when we started hauling cargo last week. On the trip to Earth, you pick the music. On the way back, we listen to Wagner.”
Jansen told him, “48 hours of Wagner. In five hours, I'm really going to want to jump out of the airlock. Just warning you.”
The co-pilot shook his head and frowned. “Your choice of music, the Reich will probably declare it subversive any days.”
“Maybe the Fuhrer should leave her office and right music. It can be about how if you cross the street during a red light, you'll get shot in the face. It might work if it had a good chorus.”
The co-pilot said, “Jansen, I wish I had never been assigned to sit next to you. You are going to end up dead someday. Now, check to see if they finished loading cargo so we can close the bay doors.”
Jansen said nothing as he looked at the screen which showed images from the cargo bay. The large hold was full of metallic crates and boxes which where lashed down. The loading seemed to be finished so Jansen went to hit the button to close the bay doors. But then a man in a pilot uniform and a woman entered.
Jansen looked at the co-pilot and said, “a guy and a lady just entered the ship. They seem to be headed for the cockpit. Must be lost. The guy is dressed like a pilot, but he looks more like a janitor. Do janitors get flight suits now?”
The co-pilot told him, “notify security.”
Jansen looked at the man beside him and said, “I got a deal. I have been up at that base for almost five years, I have not talked to a lady for three of those. This is our ship so we can handle it. I'll tell them where they should go and I can say hello to her. Let me do that, and the next five chips it is all Wagner. Besides, I'm the captain.”
The co-pilot sighed. “Well captain Jansen, I guess the past three years you been handling the refuse at the base will really help. OK, but they say or do anything suspicious and I'll have security sort it out.”
Jansen grinned then tried to straiten out his hair with his hands then got up from his chair and face the door to the cockpit at then back. He straightened out the collar of his uniform. Then the door opened, and the Wolf in the uniform entered who was followed by Lilia. They stopped when they saw Jansen and looked nervously at each other then faced him again.
Jansen seemed cocky and he said, “I'm captain Jansen. Welcome aboard my ship.”
The co-pilot stated, “Jansen has no authority.”
Jansen tried to sound harsh as he said, “silence co-pilot, your I'll throw you in the brig.”
The co-pilot muttered, “I hate you, I really do.”
Jansen then smiled and Lilia and said to she and Wolf, “no, spending the next two days in the company of a pretty young lady sounds fun. But you are on the wrong ship, we fly cargo. You want a passenger flight, those have all been launched for the day. There will be more in twelve hours.”
Wolf said, “we'll ride with you if you don't mind.”
Jansen looked at his co-pilot and said, “well, should we take them?”
The co-pilot looked over his shoulder at them. He seemed to look them over and grow suspicious. He went to push to button to notify security when Jansen said, “don't alert the security detail. It's my ship.”
When Wolf and Lilia heard this they pulled out their guns and aimed it at Jansen who backed up with his hands raised, the co-pilot was frozen in his seat. She said, “just get us to the base and you'll be alright.”
Jansen looked at the co-pilot and said, “she is making a pretty persuasive argument.”
Then the co-pilot went to hit the button when Fox fired and his body then slumped over the controls. Jansen then fell into his chair and seemed scared and shocked. He looked back at the trespassers and said, “well, I'll be your captain during this flight.”
Wolf aimed the gun at him and said, “just fly the ship, and you will be alright,”
Jansen then nodded and told them, “we'll launch in a few minutes. Strap yourself in those two seats, and get ready for a ride.”
Wolf and Lilia did as Jansen suggested. AS they did, the pilot said, “you two might have wanted to hijack a passenger fight. We have a lot of cargo and will need a lot of thrust to escape Earth's gravity. You'll be taking enough g-forces to kill approximately 60 percent of the average population. I had to spend two thousand hours in a centrifuge before I could even look at this ship.”
Wolf and Lilia looked at each other then he said, “we'll be OK.”
Jansen then said as he hit the ignition for the rocket thruster. He said as the rumbling of the engines filled the interior of the ship. “Well, they should love you two at the base. A mouse got on here someone my first year, when security found out at the base; we'll I won't go into details accept that machine guns and grenades where used.”
Lilia let out a brief laugh when Wolf looked at her. She said, “he's funny.”
Jansen said as he pushed more buttons, “buddy, I like your lady friend. Guess there will be two people up there with a sense of humor. I've been there five years, I've heard one other guy laugh, and he had just thrown a puppy into the incinerator. OK, I'll get clearance from the tower and your flight will begin. I hope neither have heart problems.”

Once Jansen got clearance from the tower, the cargo ship began to accelerate as a giant plume of flame of came out of the rocket. It then was able then reach the end of the track in a very short time, the end of the track slopped up. The ship then shot up into the night sky towards the looming, nearly full moon.

An hour later the cargo ship had left the proximity of the Earth as it head towards the moon. The large silver ship's jet exhaust then cut off the vessel glided towards the moon through the noiseless voice of space.
Inside the cockpit, the weightless environment caused the dead co-pilots clipboard to float around the room. Jansen then turned away from his controls and hit a switch on his chair and the chair turned around to he was looking at his passengers. Wolf looked at Lilia and said, “are you OK.”
She looked at them and nodded. Jansen looked at them blankly then said, “if this is your first time in a zero gravity environment; you'll be violently ill a lot. It could get messy.”
Lilia looked at the pilot and said, “we'll be OK.”
Jensen shrugged. “I assume you two are with these rebels. Now why are the two of your head for Base Alpha. Up the is are five hundred,” then he looked at his co-pilot and went on, “499 very serious men who unlike your urbane captain do not know how to take a joke. If commander Brenner finds out you two got to his base on my ship I'll be lucky if he kills me, stuffs me and mounts me on the wall of his office. Why are you two trying to get to one of the most secured facilities in the entire Reich?”
Lilia looked at Wolf and said, “tell him.”
Wolf hesitated for a moment then asked, “do you know what's going on up there?”
Jansen shook his head. “I am not in the loop. I was posted there a year before they told me where the bathroom facilities where.”
Wolf explained, “the Reich is going to launch an attack from that base to destroy everybody on Earth to stop an uprising. Me and her have to stop that.”
Jansen expression did not change. He said, “that is not the Reich I've always known. I always known them to be level headed, rational and very compassionate.”
Wolf seemed puzzled. He asked, “are you being serious?”
Jansen looked and Lilia and said, “does your boyfriend understand sarcasm?”
Wolf told him, “this is not a joke.”
The pilot said, “I cope with stress with humor. You shot my co-pilot, and even if you two don't kill in two days there are going to be five hundred guys who will.”
Lilia told the pilot, “we'll are telling you the truth.”
Jansen shrugged but then said, “all I know is that a month a go, at most one cargo ship would land at the base a month. Two days after you guys blew up those statues, we where up to two a day. I heard that since those riots started, the base is ready for dozens, passengers as well as cargo. It is the first time since I been there that civilians and Reich officials have been brought there. But I do not want to believe my fellow pilots are about to reduce Earth to a smoking hole in space.”
Lilia said, “we are telling the truth.”
Wolf then looked seriously at Jansen then promised, “let us sneak into the base, they won't find out you where involved.”
Lilia said, “captain, please.”
Jansen looked at them then nodded. “OK. I'll do it because I can't say no to a pretty lady, especially one that might shoot me. But she is not going to be popular up there, I take it from the accent she is a red. Some pilot once told commander Brenner that he thought Marxism had some valid points; have seen him around. Though I'm sure he left to pursue more lucrative job opportunities.”
Lilia laughed slightly again. She looked at Wolf and said, “I can't help it, he is funny.”
Jansen told them, “no, since I'll be flying you two to your destination, you will float your way back to back to the cargo hold for the next to two days. Be cargo, don't move, don't touch anything; be an piece of cargo. Now if I need someone to starting shooting the controls our blowing holes in the hull, I let you know.”
The pilot's chair then turned around so he was facing the controls as Wolf and Lilia unbuckled the straps holding them in the chairs. They floated upwards and pushed against the walls to propel themselves towards the door, Lilia then looked back at the pilot and said, “thanks Captain.”
Jansen said nothing when he hit the button on the radio and music played. When Wolf saw this he fired his pistol and the radio exploded into a shower of sparks. The pilot looked at the radio and said, “that was a good idea. Now I got no music for the next two days and when I don't radio the commander in a hour, he will be a little upset. By the time I get to the base, I'll probably be jettisoned out a airlock as soon as I land.”
Wolf and Lilia then made there way to the door but Jansen said before they floated through it, “and don't destroy anything back there.”

Later Lilia and Wolf and made there way into the cargo hold as they had floated through the ship. The cargo was strapped down but other things where drifting about. They carefully made their way to two chairs along the hull and they strapped themselves in. They looked at each other when Lilia took his hand. She said, “well Wolf, are you ready?”
Wolf said, “no matter what it takes, we'll stop then.”
She kissed him then whispered, “I want to be together one more time, it might be the last chance we have.”
Wolf replied, “might be a little different.”
They then kissed again.

In the cock-pit, Jansen sat at the controls and looked at the window of ahead of the ship. He was frowning and seemed scared. He then started to mumble to himself, “in two days I'll be a corpse lying on the surface of the moon, and I have no music. I would kill for Wagner right now. This is going to be a boring flight.”
Jansen then looked at the screen showing the image of the cargo hold. When he saw what Wolf and Lilia where doing, he slightly smirked and said to himself, “well, maybe not that boring.”
The vessel continued towards the base and would arrive in two days.






































Chapter-Twenty-Eight: The Holding Cells







It was night over New Berlin as the moon hung over the city.
In the basement of the Gestapo headquarters where the holding cells, where the agents would take prisoners and interrogate them for information. It was a large room of bared cells which where all empty. To the end of the holding cells was a large iron door which was now closed. The sounds of a man yelling bellowed out from inside.
Royce was inside. Two gestapo agents a few years old where inside. One was behind Royce and holding his arms behind his back. The other man in the black uniform was repeatedly punching Royce in the stomach. They had ripped the badge from Royce's uniform and he know had bruises covering his face a blood gushing from his nose. As the man punched Royce again and again, he would grunt with each blow.
The agent behind Royce yelled, “tell us what we want to know!”
The other man stopped punching Royce and dropped him to the floor. Then one of them started to kick Royce in the chest and head as he tried to cover his face. The other man looked at his fellow gestapo agent and said, “I hope he does not talk. I like beating this little pansy.”
They kept kicking Royce then stopped and looked at the broken man on the floor. One of them said, “I don't know why Hill wanted to favor this traitor.”
Then they started to beat Royce again and he just lay on the floor as he was beaten harder. But then the two men stopped when the iron door opened and Hill walked in, a pistol in one of his hands. The two agents looked at him and Hill told them, “would you please leave and let me have a word with Edmond alone.”
The two man said nothing as they left and closed the door behind them. Hill then looked down and Royce and said, “just tell us who you told and what they intend to do. Tell us and we will let your parents go. I'll still end your pathetic life, but your silence only ensures that your loved ones will meet a horrible end.”
Royce said nothing and just lay on the ground. Hill shook his head and explained, “I liked you Edmond, though I feared you may have had the personality flaw of a conscious. You would have gone far, you could have been a powerful man of influence and wealth. Now just because of some misinformed sense of morality and what is right, you and your parents will die.”
Royce, still hurt badly, lowly said, “would you just shoot me, I would rather not have to listen to you talk anymore sir.”
Hill then knelt down and pressed the barrel of the gun and said, “say this ill-advised uprising and been able to other throw the right. What then, return the world to how it used to be? A world full of unworthy people who only exist to taint the world with their sickness? A world where disorder and anarchy plunge all of society into chaos?”
Royce then grunted and said, “sounds better then the world you are trying to protect sir.”
Hill then pulled back the hammer of the pistol. He shook his head and stated, “you told me would would die an old man in your bed, and you would have been right had you done your job and not betrayed my confidence. Now, you will die and young man and your treachery will result in nothing.”
Royce then said, “just kill me.”
Hill then grinned. “Well, we need information from you but I get the sense that you are not going to talk. I respect your silence though the cause you gave your life for disgusts me. I should pull this trigger and end your wretched existence.”
Royce breathed heavily as he felt the cold steel of the gun pressed to his skin. The Hill slowly pulled the pistol away and said, “I will kill you, but my men want to settle things they way men of this profession do. So I will let them continue for a few more days. Then you, your parents and many others will be removed from this world.”
Royce then said, “sir, if there is a hell, I'll see you there.”
Hill then went to the door and faced the two agents waiting outside. Then looked at their superior who said, “go back in there, and men, stop being so soft on Edmond. He can take a lot more.”
Then two men smiled then went back into the room with Royce closed the iron door behind them. As Hill walked away, the sound of Royce's grunting and the two men yelling echoed out from the room.


















Chapter-Twenty-Nine: Hans and the Little Girl

The black van, two nights later, drove into the heart of New Berlin towards the Palace. Katsumi drove while the frail Bright Star sat in the passenger seat and looked out the window beside her at the passing buildings. As she headed towards facing a foe she had waited most of her life face, she thought of the night a man had given her the chance to survive.




Late in the 1930's in Eastern Europe.
It was a cold night one winter outside a bleak, run down city as snow fell from sky over a large camp. The camp was surrounded by a barbed wire fence which had guard towers manned by men who had on gray uniforms and where holding bolt action rifles. Inside the camp where many large buildings where the prisoners where housed, in the center of the camp was a foreboding stone building, inside the showers where the prisoners where killed.
To one side of the camp was a little girl who was not even ten. She had long brown hair and was wearing a brown coat a skirt, she had deathly pale skin and was very thin from months of starvation. As the snow fell around her, she stood by the fence and clutched to the wire with one of her hands. As she looked solemnly through the razor wire, tears streamed from her eyes.
Nearby to guards where walking by. They where both in their thirties and wearing the gray uniforms with caps covering their hair. Each held the small gray automatic weapons. Then they stopped and both looked at the girl.
One guard looked at the other and said, “that little Jewish girl has been standing by the fence all month. I think she misses her parents.”
Then the guards walked away when one laughed and said, “she will be reunited with them soon enough.”
Another guard, a tall imposing man with solemn eyes and a bolt action rifle hanging from a strap across his back, walked towards the two approaching men. He bumped into one of the two men but kept on walking. The two guards stop and looked back at the man walking away, one of them said, “is it not a beautiful night Hans?”
The man, Hans, stopped and looked back at the two men. His blue eyes seemed cold and he scowled at the other guards then continued to walk away. One of the men said to another, “he has been at this camp for three months. I know he is from a very respected military family in Germany, but Hans, he seems like he is troubled by something.”
Then the two guards walked away when the other said, “I'm sure it is nothing.”
Hans then stopped walking and then looked towards the little girl at the fence. He sighed heavily and frowned. Hans then slowly walked towards until he stood just behind the crying little girl.
Hans then softly said, “little girl.”
She then let go of the fence and faced Hans. As the little girl looked up at the man towering over her, her eyes still shed tears. Hans looked at her for a moment then reached for her hand and took it. Then he started to lead her away in silence towards the gate of the camp.
Then the girl pulled her hand away and Hans turned to look back at her. She then kicked him in the shin, rushed towards the guard and started to pound at his stomach with her hands as she cried. As she hit him she yelled, “you murderer! You killed my parents and my sisters! I hate you!”
Hans then fell to one knee and held the little girl so she could not hit him. When the girl looked into the guards eyes, she realized that tears had started to form in his eyes. He then let her go and removed his cap, revealing his blonde hair. She stepped back from him but the man looked at her, he then said, “you are right. I murdered your parents and your sisters. I've murdered so many men, many women and even children. And I fear I shall answer for my crimes someday.”
Hans stood up and looked down at her. He then said, “but maybe if I can save the life of one little girl, then maybe I can be forgiven.” He held out his hand which the little girl looked at, unsure of what to do. The guard then lowly said, “trust me, please.”
The crying little girl looked at his hand for a moment then took it. Hans then led her towards the front gate, a large barbed wire pair of doors in front of which was a fatter guard holding an automatic weapon who was smoking a cigarette. Hans released the little girls hand and said, “wait here.”
The girl waited as Hans walked up to the guard by the fence. The guard looked at him and said, “going home early tonight Hans?”
Hans said nothing and the guard turned his back to him. Then Hans pulled a knife from the sheath in his belt and stealthy rushed up behind the guard. Hans then put his hand around the man's mouth then slit his throat. As the man struggled as blood covered the upper part of his uniform, Hans held him for a moment then dropped the lifeless body to the snow covered ground. Hans then looked around and then opened the gates which then swung open. He looked back at the little girl and said, “come on.”
She then ran towards him and he took her hand again. They then ran towards some gloomy buildings a block away near some cars. They where running when a voice screamed out, “Hans, stop!”
They ran when a guard in a tower fired his rifle and a bullet struck the ground near the fleeing man and little girl. He released her hand, turned and fell to a knee then pulled hims rifle from his back. Hans fired at the guard who then fell from the tower and lay dead near the gates. Hans used the bolt and a empty shell was ejected from the rifle. The sirens screamed out from all over the camp and filled the night. Hans then took the girls hand again and led her to a car. They took cover behind behind it, sitting on the ground as Hans pulled another cartridge of ammunition from a pocket of his uniform as the little girl looked at him. Hans, tears still in his eyes, did not look at her and said, “run, I will cover your escape.”
The little girl stood up and went to run when she then looked down at the man. She pleaded, “come with me.”
Hans looked at her and replied, “you must go the rest of the way alone.”
He then reached into a pocket again and pulled out a silver medal, he looked at it and then gave it to her. Hans glumly said, “grant me one favor, keep this medal with you always little girl. My father gave it to me, I would like you to have it. Maybe you can remember me, look at it and not hate the man who gave it to you.”
She looked at the medal then rushed towards Hans and hugged him. He looked into the distance as she did and the girl said, “thank you.”
Hans then stood up and turned towards the gates of the camp. Several guards had run out from the gates and where charging towards them, He then rested the rifler on the hood of the car and said, “if you want to thank me, then survive. Find a way to stay alive.”
She then got ready to run but whispered, “I will never forget you.”
Hans then looked through the iron sights of the rifle and yelled, “I name was Hans, now run!”
She then ran quickly across the snow covered streets when Hans fired. He hit one of the approaching guards who fell to the ground, the others then raised the small automatic weapons and fired. The car which Hans hid behind was hit and the windows shattered. Hans continued to fired and killed the rest of the guards. He then looked over his shoulder and saw that the little girl had vanished into the night. Hans stood up and walked out from behind the car and held the rifle. Then the crack of a gunshot rang out and Hans fell to the ground, blood staining the leg of his uniform. He had dropped his rifle and was crawling towards it. Then around five guards stood over the wounded man and kicked his rifle away. They aimed their weapons and readied to fire.
A voice yelled out, “wait!”
The guards look towards the camp as a older gentleman in a gray trench-coat and wearing a leather cap walk towards them, a black pistol in one hand. He was the captain of the guards who now was standing over Hans as the bleeding man breathed heavily. The captain the used his foot to roll Hans over onto his back who now looked up at the man with the gun. The captain then fired his pistol and shot Hans several times in the legs as he groaned in pain.
The captain lowered the gun and shook his head. He said, “Hans, I expected better from a man with a family history such as yourself. You have brought shame to your entire family just to help some Jewish girl escape. And for what, my men will find her and kill her. You have won nothing.”
Hans looked at the captain with hatred seething in his eyes. Hans frowned and said, “I have brought shame to my family. But tonight, I may have helped absolve that blame. You will never find her, I promise you that.”
The captain sighed the aimed the pistol at Hans head.
From the cover of the entrance to an alley, the little girl watched as Hans was then shot in the head by the captain. She cried harder and muttered, “goodbye Hans.”
She then fled into the night.

Two days later in the bleak snow covered city one noon during a blizzard. The little girl had hidden in a old abandoned factory and had finally decided to chance trying and flee the city. She then stopped at a street corner and looked up towards a flag. A red flag with a black swastika fluttered in a strong breeze as the girl looked at it, grief and hatred gripping her heart. She pulled out the medal Hans had given her and looked at it. She whispered, “I promise I will end the madness that murdered my family and one day kill the man who started it with my own hands. Even if it takes me a hundred years.”
She then looked back up at the fluttering flag and said, “I will always be in your debt Hans.”
She then walked away as snow fell from the sky.

The Elderly Star looked to Katsumi and said, “I thank you Swift Rabbit, for helping me do what I have waited an eternity for.”
Katsumi said, “thank you for giving us all a chance to get retribution for our loved ones. We are almost at the entrance to the tunnels.”
They drove on.






















Chapter-Thirty: The Unloved Daughter





New Berlin as a full moon hung over the city. Even though fierce riots where raging in almost every city on Earth as billion's of people took to the street, the capital of the Reich was silent. Gestapo patrolled the streets but New Berlin but the citizens where in there home unsure of what was to come. That night, the palace of the Fuhrer stood has it had since the city had been built.
Deep within the palace was the throne room. It was a massive room with marble pillars along the wall and a large throne towards the back which a aging woman sat, wearing the uniform like her father had. She was alone like always, for when she had taken his mantle she had kept to herself and forbid anyone to enter. When she was not making announcements to the people or giving orders to her underlings through video, she would look at the large statue of her father across the room like she did that night.
As her Reich was threatened to be overthrown by the people it ruled, she looked solemnly at the statue and said, “we would be proud of me father.”
To one side of the room was a large gold swastika on the wall. When a secret door behind it swung open, the Fuhrer watched at Katsumi walked into the throne room helping the ailing Bright Star; in one of his hands was a automatic rifle. As the Fuhrer watched, Katsumi helped Star to the throne and they both looked to the woman who sat in it. The Fuhrer hit a button on the arm of the throne and sirens echoed throughout the palace.
The Fuhrer seemed unafraid or angry, she just looked at the intruders in silence for a moment before saying, “my guard will be here soon and will kill you both. If you are with the terrorist who threaten the peace of the Reich young man, you better shoot before your lives are ended.”
Katsumi smiled at her then pulled out a pistol that was tucked into the front of his pants. “Nothing would give me more joy then killing you for all you have done,” then Katsumi handed the pistol to Star and he said, “but this lady has been waiting for that a lot longer then me.”
Katsumi handed the pistol to Star and they looked at each other. She told him, “thank you Swift Rabbit.”
Katsumi nodded and told her, “I should thank you. We may still loose, but you gave all of us our chance to repay them for the grief they caused us. I'll go outside and hold off the guard for as long as I can. Tell her what you must, then do want you have wanted so long to do. Goodbye.”
Katsumi and Star said nothing as he then readied the rifle and went out the doors to the throne room. Star then aim the pistol at the woman in the throne and they stared mutely at each other, hatred burning in both her eyes.
The Fuhrer said, “go ahead, fire.”
Star said, “before I do that, I would like to tell you a story.”
The Fuhrer then nodded but told Star, “I will listen to your tale, but after would you have the courtesy of listening to mine. Since I am about to die, I would like to tell someone. After, you may pull the trigger.”
Then the sound of gunfire sounded from outside the throne room doors. Star lowered the pistol and began to speak as the woman in the throne listened.
“Once, long ago there was a little girl. She lived with her parents and two sisters and they loved each other. Times where tough in the nation in which they lived, but this family still where happy. Then a man came to power and this country began to change, and this little girl realized that now all the people hated her and the people from which she came. Then men came, took this little girl and her family to a camp but where told that they would be allowed to live. She and her family where starved, brutalized but this girl believed one day she would be free again and with the ones she loved. Then the guards of the camp took her parents and her sisters, not saying why, but this girl soon after realized that they had been killed. That little girl should have died with them. But a man, a guard who served at that camp was unlike the others. He was stricken with guilt and hatred for himself, and to ease this guilt he helped this girl escaped. As she ran away, she watched as the man who had saved her life was killed by the other guards. Once she was safe, she vowed one day she would end this evil order and personally kill the man who created. But as she grew older, she searched the world for others of her people but realized that she was the last of her people. Then this woman, now old, learned that she was soon to die. Then she came to the capital created by the man who murdered her loved ones so she could finally avenge her family and her people. And in a few moments that girl will finally do what she waited all her life for. She could not kill the man who started this madness, but she will settle for his daughter.”
The Fuhrer then looked at Star, her eyes glassy yet full of hatred. The woman in the throne began her tale as Star listened.
“Once a little girl was born, the daughter of a great man who was not there even at her birth, nor was he there at her first birthday or any other. This little girl loved her father because he was a great man, yet she never met him once. For this man wanted a son to take the mantle that had been his, and he hated and resented his only child when all she wanted was his love. Then he died and his daughter was had took sit in the throne he created since his empire needed a successor. This daughter would ensure her father's Reich would never die, and she would one die win his love. But then a woman came to the capital city of her father's empire, intent of destroying the kingdom this great man forged. The last of a people erased from history, but she would not succeed. For the throne of her father may go empty, but the order he created will never die.”
Star raised the gun and said, “you have done so much evil to win the approval of a man who is dead.”
Then the Fuhrer started hitting buttons on the arm of the throne. Then the Fuhrer looked at Star and said, “I really must thank you. I father cleansed the world of your people's taint, but there many others who should join them. Now I will finally ensure that my father's Reich will never die and that all those who are unworthy to live in it will be gone. And one day, his kingdom will be rebuilt and greater then ever. There may no longer be a Fuhrer to rule, but the Reich will never parish. I have just ordered this world to be destroyed and it is your fault, in a little more then twelve hours all the inferiors who live upon this flawed world will be reduced to ash. And my father's kingdom will be saved. Now shoot you insipid Jewish bitch.”
Star pulled the trigger and the Fuhrer fell back into the throne, blood starting to stain the uniform she whore. The Star fired again and the woman in the throne fell from her seat, now laying dead on the floor. Star lowered her head and the gun fell to her side, she reached inside her coat and pulled out the medal Hans had given her so long ago and looked at it.
Then the gunfire from beyond the doors ceased and then twelve men in black uniforms came into the throne room, Star standing over the body of their ruler. Star said nothing as the palace guard fired and fell to the ground.
As the people's of Earth's doom prepared across space, the two women lay dead on the floor of the throne room.

 

[Autodidact_33]

Chapter Thirty-One: Arrival at Moon Base Alpha










The cargo ship was gliding silently towards the moon which filled all of space in front of it. The vessel was headed towards a section of the moon, on the surface where a series of colossal dome like structures which had windows on its sides which where lit up. The domes where surrounded by around a dozen large circular landing pads which had lights blinking all around it, several cargo ships where docked.
In the cockpit, Jansen was strapped to his chair and was at the controls and manned the controls. He then hit the button for the intercom and said into to it, “would the passengers report to the cockpit, we are about to land.”
While the pilot waited alone, he said to himself, “well, better enjoy the next hour. Probably the last one I'll have.”
After awhile the door to the cockpit opened, and Wolf floated into it followed by Lilia. The pilot said, “strap yourself in, I'll have to fire the thrusters to slow down and land. I don't think you want to have yourself crushed against the hull.”
Wolf and Lilia got into the two chairs behind Jansen. The pilot seemed to be looking at something through the window, he said, “I should tell you guys something.”
Lilia asked, “what captain?”
Jansen pointed to an area several dozen miles from the base. In the darkness of a unlit crater, there where a multitude of flashing red lights. Wolf and Lilia noticed and she asked, “what is that?”
The pilot shrugged and said, “we'll this thing about you hijacking my ship to stop the base from destroying Earth, well it still is probably still just inflammatory revolutionary rhetoric meant to inspire the masses to riot; but those lights are from about thirty landing pads indicating they are about to launch ships. Since the lights are red, it means it is a priority one launch, which means once they are on they are on their way, they won't respond to radio until they reach their destination.”
Lilia looked at Wolf and said, “they are launching the bombers.”
The pilot said, “those landing pads are real hush hush, all the cargo pilots know about them but the Luftwaffe hide it in a crater. If it is hidden, its means its military. If those are bombers, then unless the Reich has declared war on mars or Pluto, then I would say they where headed for earth.”
Wolf asked, “can they be stopped?”
Jansen shrugged. “They are fueling up, probably will be on route in a few hours. But to get to those pads you would need a space suit and about six hours.”
Lilia asked, “captain, we really need your help.”
Jansen sighed and replied, “unless you know how to destroy about thirty bombers in a couple of hours, you really may between a rock and a hard place. But if you want the advice of a humble captain, maybe you could do something if you could get into the command center.”
Wolf asked, “why would they be of any help?”
Jansen said, “every function of the base is controlled there, I'm not sure what you could do but it is your best chance.”
Lilia then turned to Wolf and said, “then that is where we are going.”
Jansen smirked. “Well my co-pilot won't be a problem, but the command center is in the most secure section of the base. Between you and that room is going to be several hundred cold blooded killers who have spent a few years bored out of their minds and aching to shoot holes in anything. Once Brenner knows there are intruders, he will call for a security alert and the base will be locked down. If that happens, it won't be easy to get into the deeper parts of the base.”
Wolf asked, “are you going to help us?”
Jansen looked back at then, grinned then turned back to the cockpit's window and said, “I like my job and don't think helping two rebels get into Brenner's base will look good on my next performance evaluation. But as captain of this ship, it is my duty to get my passengers to their destination which I guess is the control room. Beside if you two are not pulling the captain's leg, then I guess I have to help. I left a cat on Earth when I left five years ago, I like that cat and don't want to see it get hurt.”
Lilia looked at the pilot and said, “the resistance could use a captain.”
The pilot remarked, “well, this fighting the power thing and going on suicide missions is really not captain Jansen's cup of tea. But after five years of Brenner's constant verbal abuse, I think I deserve a few hours of disobedience.”
Wolf said, “we appreciate the help.”
Jansen told him, “no problem, you got the captain on your side. Everyone stationed at that base knows I'm the smartest, most competent and respected person at that base.”
Wolf looked at the pilot and asked, “is that sarcasm?”
Jansen laughed briefly and said, “lady, I think there is hope for your boyfriend. Buddy, next we'll work on humorous criticism. Stick with Captain Jansen, you grow a sense of humor.”
Wolf and Lilia took out there pistols and cocked and loaded them. Jansen heard this and said, “there are a few things you should know. If you expect to run around, have heroic gunfights, dodge enemy fire and jumped through hatches to avoid explosions; we'll be in the moons low gravity your more like to start bouncing of the walls and crack your heads open on the ceiling. Also, I'll help you get to the edge of the secured parameter; if I come anywhere near the command center; Brenner will order the security detail to use large munitions even if he does not know your in his base.”
Wolf took out his other gun and said, “you might need this.”
The pilot looked back forward and said nothing. Wolf told him, “it is a gun.”
Jansen replied, “oh, I thought it was a toothbrush. During this caper, the captain's weapon will be a very wry wit. Beside, you go in there a start shooting the place up; we'll you do it in the wrong place and the base could loose pressure in that section. Beside, we'll have to sneak you in there. Real silent like. But once they know they got two rebels in the place, well everyone in the place is going to go berserk. But if Brenner thinks you are getting to close command center, well, he probably turn those bombers around and have them destroy the moon to stop you.”
Lilia looked at Wolf and said, “we'll, they won't reach earth for two days.”
Jansen explained, “wish we where that lucky. If those are Luftwaffe space bombers, they get to Earth in about twelve hours. A lot faster then my ship. So if there is anything you two can do, well, I would not take a coffee brake anytime soon.”
Wolf leaned over and whispered to Lilia, “can we trust him, he sounds insane.”
Jansen flatly said, “lady, tell your boyfriend that if he had spent the past five years in a very claustrophobic environment with several hundred guys who have as much respect for you as stomach cancer, then he would spend his all free time in his quarters talking to his only friend. I brought this plant from Earth, about the only person on the base who I can have an informative conversation with.”
Lilia looked at Wolf and said, “I trust him.”
Wolf nodded then the pilot said, “once we land go in the cargo hold, there is a locker in there with some boots. There magnetized so you can walk a little easier. Get the lady a flight suit as well, there are some in the back. If anyone see's either you down there, they'll know you don't belong since those guys have spent years together. But the suits have some padding made of extremely dense polymers, could work a little like armor. Get ready to land.”
Wolf and Lilia looked at each other and she said, “ready captain.”
Jansen then told them, “the first hurdle is that since I have been out of contact with the base, as soon as we dock Brenner will send some of his security detail to greet me. If I don't have a good excuse, then this mission will be real short. Plus, my co-pilot's body could possibly make them suspicious, though I'm not entirely sure.”
Wolf and Lilia looked at each other then Wolf looked at the pilot and said, “the fate of a lot of people is riding on you.”
Jansen replied, “we'll do our best. But I guest I should thank you two, if you can pull this off commander Brenner is going to regret the day he said captain Jansen was the most incompetent guy under his command. Now we are about to land. Hope you two like intense experiences.”
They said nothing as the ship descended towards the base.



Chapter-Thirty-Two: Royce Confronts Hill





In the holding cells of the Gestapo headquarters, the sound of a Royce groaning in pain echoed out from beyond the iron door. Then the door opened and a gestapo agent walked out smiling and closed the door behind him, his fists bloodied. Then another agent quickly entered the holding cells and approached him.
The gestapo agent who had just exited through asked, “is something going on?”
The other agent excitedly said, “Hill has just ordered every agent in headquarters to help evacuate every high ranking Reich official in the city, escort them to the Luftwaffe base. All the agents have left headquarters, so should you.”
The agent in front of the door asked, “what is going on?”
“Don't know,” the agent replied, “but Hill is up in his office. He'll join us at the Luftwaffe base as soon as he can.”
Then the gestapo agent ran off again and the man in the black uniform in front of the door pulled out the pistol from his belt and turned back to the door. He said, “well, guess I'll kill that traitor before I go.”
The guard opened the door but saw that Royce was not laying on the door. Before the agent could react, Royce jumped out from the corner beside the door and knocked the agent to the floor. Royce then dropped his knee on the agents head who then went unconscious. Royce then picked up the gestapo agents gun and looked at the silver iron crass badge Hill had given him, now it lay on the floor of the room. Royce picked up the badge and turned to the open door. Even though he had broken ribs and bruises all over his body, he walked out from the room. The gun in one hand, the bade in the other.

Hill was in his office. He was frantically going through his desk and putting effects into a briefcase which lay on the desk before him. As Hill did this, he did not notice the door open until he heard the metallic click of a pistol's hammer being pulled back. Hill looked up and saw Royce standing in the doorway. The injured Royce aimed the gun at Hill but said nothing, the badge in his other hand.
Hill, seeming scared, asked, “Edmond, what are you doing here?”
Royce replied, “if you don't take the gun from your belt and throw it to the floor, well sir, I'll have to shoot you.”
Hill hesitated but did as Royce told him. Hill then started to urgently explain, “Edmond, the Luftwaffe at the lunar base have received orders to launch. In less then twelve hours they will arrive, anyone left on Earth will be dead. I know you did what you did because you made a mistake, if you come with me I'll give you a seat on the last passenger flight to the base.”
Royce weekly smiled, “I'm sorry to inform you sir, that you will not make that flight.”
Hill then back up against the window beside him. He started to plead, “don't shoot me, just let me go. I was just following orders.”
Royce then removed the clip from the pistol he was holding dropping it to the floor, the unloaded pistol in his hand. He said, “I won't kill you sir, unlike you I would not feel good about myself if I took a man's life, even the life of a soulless bastard like you.”
Hill seemed relieved yet puzzled, “so you are letting me go Edmond.”
Royce started to walk towards Hill as he said, “I did not say that. But you taught me how men of my profession settle things and I never forget a lesson.”
Hill was frozen as Royce stood in front of him. Hill was shaking his head, “please, don't do this.”
Then Royce used the empty pistol to hit Hill over the head and Hill fell to the ground moaning in pain. Royce got on top of him and kept clubbing him in the head with the pistol as Hill yelled. Finally Hill lay on the ground, his faced bloodied and moaning. Royce then stood up and looked down at Hill, the badge still in Royce's other. He then threw it on Hill's body and Royce said, “well, thanks for a interesting few months sir. I appreciate the larger office but I guess I won't be needing it. I think was never cut out for this kind of work anyways. Guess I'll be seeing you around.”
Royce then left the office as Hill lay injured on the floor of his office.

Royce walked out the front doors of gestapo headquarters, since every agent was now escorting Reich officials out of the city he was not worried about being captured. He then sat on the stone front steps and held a hand to his aching, broken ribs. He then looked up at full moon which loomed over the city.
Royce then said, “well Wolf, guess it is all up to you.”
As he looked up, no citizen in New Berlin or any person on Earth was aware that right now their doom was preparing to strike.














Chapter-Thirty-Three: Assault on the Command Center






Deep within Moon Base Alpha was the command center. The large, poorly lit room was full of controls and video monitors which around a dozen men, all in gray Luftwaffe uniforms, sat behind as they tended to all the functions of the base. In the center of the room, sitting in a chair was base commander Brenner. He was a large man who had dark hair and a thick bear upon his face. A scar cover a eye which had been replaced with a glass one. He seemed to look at the large video monitor in front of him, on it was a image of the large Luftwaffe space bombers in the crater. He seemed to be thinking.
Officer Winston, a tall lanky man with red hair, approached the commander and said, “the bombers will be fueled and on route in just over an hour.”
Brenner just looked at the image and said, “I hoped it would never come to this, but soon this base will perform its purpose.”
Officer Winston then told him, “also, pilot Jansen's ship just docked.”
Brenner seemed to grow agitated at the mention of the pilots name. He said, “well, now that we are about to preform the most important operation in this bases history, I'm glad the only man under my command with an I.Q. Lower then a carrot is back. Though I wish I had ordered him to stay on Earth for a day, soon this base will be on its own and the thought of being trapped in here with Jansen makes my stomach sick.”
Officer Winston asked, “why do you keep him stationed here? You could have sent him back to Earth and had the gestapo pick him up.”
Brenner frowned and grunted. The commander said, “I remember the day he arrived here five years ago. After ten seconds of listening talk I came to the conclusion that he was the stupidest, most slowed witted and insufferable pilot I had ever met in my forty years in the Luftwaffe. I felt a strong urge to strangle him to death with my own hands. But I kept him at this base because my men are assigned to a very dull, uneventful post and tormenting that fool keeps them amused. Besides, if anyone is going to kill that runt, it is going to be me; I promise you that. Now send to men from the security detail as soon as he gets inside the base, if he does not have a damn good reason for failing to radio the base tell them to shoot him in the leg. And when he heals and is feet for duty, tell them to shoot him again.”
Officer Winston then looked back to the bombers and frowned.

Near the landing pad where Jansen's ship had docked was a long corridor with silver metal walls, it led from the pad to the out parameter of the base. Jansen was pushing a large metal box down the corridor as he approached the hatch at the far end. Then the hatch opened and two men, both wearing black uniforms with lightweight body armor and holding futuristic looking rifles; there had helmets on. When they saw Jansen approached they both frowned at him.
Jansen stopped and said, “well, I'm back.”
One of the security detail said, “well Captain Jansen is back. Good, I think Brenner needs someone to unclog a toilet. He says that if you don't have a good reason for not being in radio contact, well, we can shoot you.”
Jansen shrugged at said, “once I left Earth orbit my radio was shorted out by a solar flare, or I think it was deep space radiation, I'm not sure which space jargon explain it with.”
One of the security officers then spoke into a small radio attached to the sleeve of his suit. He said, “Jansen claims his radio malfunctioned from a natural phenomena commander Brenner.”
The officer listened to something coming from the ear peace inside his helmet and then told Jansen, “OK, Brenner says he is to busy to deal with your stupidity. All return flights to Earth are canceled and you are to be confined to quarters. If you go outside before he orders you to, well then he'll have you scout a nearby crater without a space suit.”
Jansen then slapped the cargo he was moving and said, “OK, but I have to take this to Brenner right now.”
One of the security officers asked, “what is in it Jansen?”
The pilot replied, “two rebels who I am sneaking into the base so they can storm the command center.”
The two security officers looked at each other then looked back at the pilot. One of them said, “I am sick and tired of your stories.”
Jansen replied, “actually on Earth, some big Reich official said that he needed the best pilot in the Luftwaffe to personally escort this cargo to Brenner. Now we are not aloud to look inside because we are not important enough. I know I can't set foot anywhere near the command sent, but let me personally escort this cargo to the edge of the security parameter. You guys know my career is in a rut, so let me do this to get into the good graces of Brenner again. After I'll go right to my quarters and and talk to my plant.”
The two security officers looked at each other then looked at Jansen and one of them said, “OK, but you go past the security and Brenner will have us use you for target practice.”
The two security officers parted and Jansen pushed the cargo past them, as he then proceeded down the long hallway on the other side he looked back at the two men and said, “I don't know what's in this crate, but I get the feeling it will blow the commander's mind. I think we are going to have a interesting day.”
The two security personal watched him leave then one ran up behind the pilot and stopped him. While Jansen's back was to him, the officer asked, “where is your co-pilot?”
Jansen said, “right before take off, he got real silent. The whole trip he just sat there and did nothing, it was like I had a dead body in the cockpit. He is doing some repairs on the ship right now though.”
The officer frowned and said, “OK, get out of here. We are to busy to deal with you at the moment.”
Jansen continued on as the two security officers walked off in the other direction.

Deeper inside the base. Jansen was pushing the cargo container down a long corridor, numerous hatches on either side. Pilots, technicians and security officers where walking past him. Then the pilot tapped on the container and lowly asked, “can I ask you two something?”
There was a moment of silence when Wolf's voice muttered from inside the container, “shut up.”
Jansen kept going as he said, “I talk to inanimate objects all the time, if I don't the other men will get suspicious.”
Silence again then Lilia voice whispered, “what would you like to know?”
Jansen replied, “how much experience do you guys have at this rebel stuff.”
Lilia's voice spoke out, “I've been doing this awhile.”
Jansen then said, “and your boyfriend?”
She told the pilot, “he started about a week ago.”
Jansen shrugged then said, “well, before I sure he was ex military or something who decided to fight the power.”
There was silence for a moment when Wolf whispered, “I worked a few months at a hydroponics tower.”
Jansen grimaced then said, “well lady, I think you might be able to do this. But your farmer boyfriend my want to sit this one out and cultivate a vegetable or something.”
Wolf then silently said, “do you have to talk so much?”
Jansen replied, “I get talkative when I'm scared. When Brenner finds out I helped to intruders get onto his base you won't have much to worry about. He'll have all his men trying to find me so he can have my head chopped on and put on a pike somewhere and they'll be to busy to deal with you.”
Wolf then said, “just keep going.”
Jansen then pushed the cargo container on.

Deeper inside the base was the edge of the security parameter. At the end of a long empty corridor was a large hatch which two security officers guarder. Jansen was at the far end of the corridor pushing the container towards them. As the pilot approached, Jansen said, “OK, I'll distract the two guards.”
Wolf asked, “then what?”
As Jansen approached the security officer, he said, “just pretend these guys are my co-pilot.”
Then Jansen approached the two men and stopped. They looked at the pilot and frowned, one of them said, “captain Jansen.”
Jansen looked at them and replied, “I would say your name, but all you guys look alike so it is hard for me to tell you apart. You know, the thick necks and sloping brows.”
One of the officers said, “take two steps forwards, and Brenner will probably skinned alive.”
Jansen told them, “this container needs to go to the commander.”
One of the security officers looked at the container. He said, “any cargo that goes past a security checkpoint has to be checked.”
Jansen then looked around and said, “guys, I need to speak to you over here.”
Jansen then walked away hatch as the officers followed, there backs to the container. The pilot then said, “I think there may be a terrorist on the base.”
One of the officers pushed Jansen back and said, “you better run off you little moron.”
As they talked, the cargo container's side the swung open and Wolf crawled out followed by Lilia. Both where wearing the uniforms and the pulled out the guns. Jansen continued to talk, “on the way to the base, my co-pilot and I got into an argument about music; then he ran amok and started running around the ship like a lunatic. When I landed he said he was going to kill Brenner then ran off. I would have said something sooner but he is a colleague so I was conflicted.”
The two security officers looked at each other when Wolf and Lilia fired, the men where several times when Jansen dived to the floor and covered his ears. When both officers fell down dead, Jansen waited a moment and got up. He looked down at the two dead men and said, “sad, I've worked with those two guys for five years. Not a complete loss, two men on this base just got promoted. You guys are going to be good for a lot of people's careers.”
Wolf and Lilia went to go through the hatch when Jansen spoke up and they stopped. The pilot said, “here's some advice. Along the walls in the base are colored lines, they help new pilots posted here find there way around. Follow the red line, it leads to the command center. Don't worry about the noise, the walls of this base are sound proof.”
Jansen then knelt down and pulled a key card of one of the security officer's belts, He handed it to Wolf and said, “this will open the hatches but will only work as long as Brenner is unaware your on his base.”
Lilia said, “thanks captain.”
Wolf then told him, “maybe you should take a ship and escape.”
Jansen shook his head. “If you two fail, by the time I get to Earth I won't have a planet to land on. By the time I get back to the base, I assume you two would have reduced it to a pile of scrap metal.”
Then the pilot pointed to the two rifles the security officers dropped. The pilot said, “you might want to take those. If Brenner's men see you with the guns you brought, they'll either shoot you or die from laughter.”
Wolf and Lilia picked up the rifle then looked at the pilot. Wolf said, “we and a lot of people are in your debt.”
Jansen replied, “just getting my passengers to their destination. Well, I guess this is where we part ways. I think I'll go to my quarters. When you see Brenner, tell him I'll be there so he can give me a demotion for my job performance today. Good luck you two, it's been fun.”
Wolf and Lilia turned to go through the hatch and enter the security parameter when Jansen looked at him and then said, “and buddy, try to grow a sense of humor.”
Then Jansen walked off in the other direction as Wolf and Lilia watched him leave. They then turned to each other and she said, “I really like him.”
Wolf then looked at Jansen before the pilot turned around a corner and was gone. Then he said, “the captain is completely out of his mind, but I liked him to.”
Then they turned to each other for a moment then went through the hatch.

Deeper inside the security parameter, two security officers where walking down a long corridor as they're footsteps created metallic clangs on the metal grate on the floor. Behind them, Wolf peaked out from behind a corner then went back behind it. He and Lilia where back up against the wall of the adjoining corridor, both seemed anxious yet composed. She looked at him and said, “we'll make it to the command center.”
Wolf looked away from her but said, “I will. I just pray there is something we can do when we get there. Find a way to stop those bombers.”
Lilia told him, “if this is our last hour, or minutes; I'm glad your here.”
Wolf then looked around the corner and saw the corridor was now empty. He looked at her and said, “let's keep going.”
Then they emerged from around the corner and ran towards the command center.

Inside the command center, Brenner sat in his chair and continued to watch the bombers ready to launch. He was so fixated on the image that he did not notice officer Winston walk up.
Officer Winston said, “Commander, we may have a problem.”
Brenner did not look at him, but replied, “what is it?”
Officer Winston explained. “Two men from the security detail failed to check in. I had some men go find them.”
Brenner still looked at the image. He asked, “what did they find?”
Officer Winston seemed scared to say but then lowly told Brenner, “the two security officers where found dead, apparently from gun fire. There weapons where missing.”
Brenner, seemingly enraged, got up from his chair and scowled at the officer. He barked, “what did you say!?”
Officer Winston replied, “I think we have intruders on the base.”
Brenner then fell back into his chair and loudly ordered, “activate a security alert and lock down the base. Tell all the men to comb every inch of the facility and kill anyone who does not belong.”
Officer Winston nodded and went to a computer console. But before he could use it, the command center was filled with the screeching sound of a alarm. Brenner looked at his officer and loudly asked, “what is going on!?”
Winston looked at the screen in front of him. He replied, “we just lost power to life support. The whole base will lose oxygen in just under two hours.”
Brenner then scowled and asked, “is it a malfunction?”
Winston looked at the screen and shook his head. “Looks more like a power conduit has been severed somewhere, but I can't locate it.”
The alarm stopped for a moment, after several seconds of silence it started to blare again and Winston looked at the screen. He then said, “commander, we just lost power to the heating systems. What is going on?”
Brenner looked at the image of the bombers and said, “someone is sabotaging the base.”
Winston looked at the commander and asked, “do you think the intruders are trying to sabotage the base?”
Brenner then grunted and said, “you would need to know this base very well to know where those conduits can be located.”
Winston then asked, “do you think one our men is helping these intruders?”
Brenner then began to grit his teeth and scowled. “There is only one man on this base stupid enough to think it is a good idea to randomly cut power to all the bases essential systems.”
Winston then seemed dumbfounded. “Jansen is helping someone try and sabotage the base. Do you want me to activate the security measures commander?”
Brenner then turned to Winston and said, “if the technicians can't find out where that moron severed the power, then every man under my command will die. The techs will not be able to do that if all the hatches are sealed.”
Winston then looked at the commander and asked, “what are your orders commander?”
Brenner then firmly replied, “order the techs restore power to the essential systems, tell the security detail to find those intruders and kill them. It is no coincidence that this all happening right now, these intruders are trying to stop the bombers. And they are being helped by simpleton who will probably kill us all including his knew friends. You and everyone on the command center start searching for them on the security video feeds.”
Winston nodded and said, “I will do it commander.”
Brenner then growled as he said, “and tell the men to take Jansen alive. I am going to personally pull every tooth out from his mouth with pliers.”
Winston and the rest of the men in the command center started to get to work. Commander Brenner then looked at the image of the bombers and said in a deep voice, “I don't know what bothers me more, that I have intruders on the base during the most hours of the ten years I've been commander. Or that now I'm locked in a battle of wits with a man who is not even smart enough to be a amoeba.”
Brenner looked at the bombers as they prepared to launch.

Somewhere else in the base in a long empty corridor, Jansen was standing next to a open access panel. Inside where a bundle of dozens of black thick wires two of which he had severed with the wielding torch he held in his hand. The pilot looked at the wires and said to himself, “one of these must be power to the surveillance system. Well I'll just keep going until I get to the right one. I'll get lucky eventually.”
Jansen looked at the wires and seemed to wait for a moment then proudly said, “Brenner, your day of reckoning is here. Last time you underestimate Captain Jansen.”
The pilot then continued to severe the wires.

Wolf and Lilia where running down a corridor as they followed the red stripe which led to the command center. He held her hand as they went, but then two security officers appeared at the end of the corridor and when they saw Wolf and Lilia running towards them, they raised there weapons to fire. They stopped when Lilia raised the rifle she and fired, he security officers fired back as the corridor was filled with the flashes of gunfire. The two officers then fell to the ground dead but had hit Wolf, who then fell to one knee was blood stained the shoulder of the pilot uniform. Lilia knelt down beside them as they lay both weapons on the ground.
She asked, “are you OK?”
Wolf nodded and said, “let's keep going, we don't have long.”
Then a man's voice yelled out, “halt!”
Wolf and Lilia realized that there where several security officers on either side of the corridor. Wolf looked at her and she seemed like she was unsure what to do. They just knelt on the ground as the security officers approached.
One of the officers said, “just kill them. Brenner said shoot to kill.”
The security officer closet to Wolf and Lilia replied, “I've been doing nothing but standing around for five years, just let me take a moment to enjoy this.”
Wolf look and Lilia and she said, “I love you Wolf.”
He said nothing as the security officer raised his rifle. But just as he went to fire, every light in the corridor as well as the entire base shut off and the entire facility was plunged into darkness.

Standing beside the open access panel in pitch blackness was Jansen, torch still in his hand who had just cut the power to the stations lights. He was looking around and unsure where anything was, he said to himself, “who is stupid enough to shut off the lights right now. Some off us have work to do around here.”

When the emergency lights in the corridor where Wolf and Lilia had been, the security officers found that the intruders where gone; the weapons gone as well. The security officers all looked at each other and one of them said, “if the commander finds out we had them and let them get away, he is going to kill us.”
Then the security officers ran off in different directions.

Jansen stood beside the open access panel then turned off the torch and lay it on the ground. He looked at the sparks jumping from all the wires he had cut and began to grin as he said, “well, I think I'll let my passengers take it from here. Now I think I'll go to the base's lower levels, find a nice utility closet and hide there for about forty years. After that, I'm sure the commander will forget this whole sordid mess and we can resume a healthy working relationship.”
Jansen then quickly walked down the corridor.

In the command center, Commander Brenner watched the image of the bombers fuel up. All his men in the room watched security images from the stations cameras. As they where unable to find the intruders, Brenner seemed to grow more enraged. Officer Winston who was beside him, approached the commander and seemed afraid to speak but then stated, “the security detail and the surveillance system has failed to find the intruders, we are searching the entire security parameter but to no avail.”
Brenner watched the screen and then asked, “how long to the bombers are ready launch?”
Winston replied, “forty minutes.”
Brenner then squinted at the image before him and said, “we have that much time to find them. We will do what ever it takes to find them. I will not let this operation fail while I'm commander.”
Winston asked, “what are your orders?”
Brenner then looked at the officer and seemed infuriated, “lock down the outer regions of the base so we don't not lose atmosphere during the fighting. Also lock down the command center.”
Winston seemed puzzled. He said, “but if we do that the techs may not find where Jansen cut power to the bases systems.”
Brenner then looked back at the image of the bombers and said, “we are going to assume that this base is already lost. That idiot has seen to that. We just have to keep the intruders from reaching the command center. We just need forty minutes. Once the bombers are on route, then this base is expandable. The facilities meant to house the Reich officials and others can go on without this part of this base. It is my job to make sure our unwelcome guests fail in stopping the bombers mission. By any means necessary.”
Winston seemed worried and asked, “what are you going to do commander?”
Brenner grunted and ordered, “unlock the lower level hatches but keep anywhere the areas where our guests might be unsecured. Order the Death's Head to kill the intruders.”
The color drained from Officer Winston's face and he said, “they will kill all the personal, all your men.”
Brenner then said in a low voice, “yes, in the chaos the intruders will be unable to reach the command center. The Death's Head will by us the time we need. I was given this command and will sacrifice every man under it to do what I must.”
Officer Winston looked and Brenner then said, “I will do what you ask commander.”
Brenner then watched the bombers.

Somewhere in the security parameter of the base, a small ventilation shaft was located near the floor and the metal grate was laying on the ground. As the security officers walked past, they took no notice of it.
Deeper inside the shaft was a small room full of pipes and wires. Wolf sat on the ground as Lilia knelt in front of him, blood still gushing from his gun wound. He seemed to be in pain but said nothing.
She told him, “I'll stop the bleeding.”
Wolf looked at her and said. “Go on without me. You don't have the time and I'll only slow you down. Just go.”
She shook her head and told him, “I'm not going anywhere without you.”
Wolf winched in pain and said, “the bombers will launch soon. I'll catch up if I can.”
Then she sat down beside him, took his hand and softly replied, “we'll stay here for a few minutes. Then we'll go the rest of the way together.”
Wolf looked her but they said nothing.

In the lower levels of base, Jansen was looking at a large hatch in a poorly lit hallway. He seemed to stare at it, above the hatch was a red light. The pilot continued to look at the hatch and said to himself, “I've been here five years, yet the commander always has this hatch locked. Maybe he has contraband or something else. Seeing as this is probably my last day as a pilot here, I would give anything to see what is behind that hatch.”
Then the light above the hatch turned green and the hatch opened. The pilot then shrugged and stated, “well, that was a coincidence.”
Jansen looked through the hatch, beyond it was a long corridor with barely any light. The walls where dented and wires had been ripped out from the ceiling. The pilot said, “Now I see, Brenner locks this place up because it is a mess. Looks boring anyways.”
Jansen turned to leave when distorted laughing came from further down the corridor beyond the hatch. Jansen looked back and took one step into the hatch and looked around. He said, “something a little off about that laughing, but maybe I found someone else on this base who knows how to take a joke.”
Jansen then began to walk down the corridor. As he proceeded he became aware of a heavy metallic footsteps. When he reached the end of the corridor and turned around the corner, he froze in place when he saw three Death's Head soldiers walking towards him; their massive weapons in their hands. They all where well over six feet tall and the eyes from the helmets of their armor glowed green. The pilot was frozen in place from fear and the Death's Head stopped in front of him and looked down at the pilot.
Jansen was shaking but said, “I'm captain Jansen, I have not seen you around the base before. You guys new?”
The one of the Death's Head and looked at another, “we've been locked down here forever, time to finally go and do what we trained for.”
Jansen said, “the commander should not have you fellas locked up down here, seem like a good bunch of guys to me.”
The other Death's Head replied, “enough talk. Let's just go to the upper levels and kill everybody.”
Jansen then nodded, “yeah, sounds great. Say, why don't you give me one of those big guns and we can go to the upper part of the base and blow it apart. We'll have a blast fellas.”
Then all the Death's Head looked at the pilot and said, “first, I'm going to take this little bag of flesh and squeeze his head till it pops.”
Then Jansen began to back away but said nervously, “you must be a member of this base, everyone else wants to crush the captain's head to.”
Then the Death's Head soldiers aimed their gigantic at Jansen who then turned and ran the way he came. He yelled as he left, “well, hope to see you around the base!”
Jansen then ran for the access to the upper levels, the heavy footsteps of the Death's Head behind him.

In a upper part of the base where the crew quarters where located, four security officers where marching down a hallway. One of them said as the went on, “if captain Jansen shows his face ever again, I'll kill that imbecile.”
Another officer said, “Brenner said to take him alive. But I'm sure he is hiding somewhere, we'll probably never find him.”
Just then Jansen ran out from the corner at the end of the hallway and darted towards the security officers. When they saw the pilot they stopped and raised their rifles. One of them yelled, “freeze.”
Jansen then came to a halt and raised his hands. He said, “hey fellas, crazy day we been having. If you ask me the commander is letting this base go to shambles.”
One of the officers threatened, “we would shoot you right now. But Brenner wants to punish you personally. If you had a functional brain, you would have crashed your ship instead of angering the commander. We'll all have been waiting for this for years.”
Jansen looked behind him at the direction he had run from then turned back to the officers. The pilot said, “guys, those two on my ship; they forced the captain to help them. You know I would never do anything to disappoint the commander.”
One of the officers said, “we all have had enough of your mouth.”
Then Jansen pointed behind him and said, “those two who are wrecking the reputation of the captain, well they are right down that corridor.”
A security officer stated, “you are lying.”
Jansen then said, “we are on the moon, I can't escape. Or wait, maybe I can hold my breath and float back to Earth, do you guys think that's possible.”
Then from the direction Jansen had ran came the sound of an explosion. The security officers then looked at each other then quickly charged towards the sound. Jansen watched as the security officers ran around corner at the end of the hall, after the few seconds there was the sound of gunfire followed by the screams of the security officers. Jansen then started to walk in the other direction towards his quarters.
Then stretched out his arms, yawn and said, “well, it's been an exciting few hours but I'm bushed. Think I'll go to my quarters, get into by bunk and tell the plant about the day I just had. I hope tomorrow at the base is a little less hectic.”

In the small room in the ventilation shaft, Lilia sat beside Wolf as the area of the uniform stained by blood continued to grow. They said nothing and just sat there when suddenly the sounds of gunfire, explosions and men screaming started to come from everywhere. Lilia listened when she heard the distorted laughing of the Death's Head. Wolf looked at her, “OK, I've been holding you up long enough. You better go and get to that command center.”
Lilia then looked at Wolf, she raised her voice and said, “you still take orders from me, and right now I order you to get to come with me to the command center!”
Wolf looked at her then nodded. She then crawled down the ventilation shaft followed by Wolf, both had the rifles. Once they emerged from the shaft, they stood up in the corridor and looked for the red stripe. Then Lilia ran, holding Wolf's hand and pulling him along. As they ran towards the command center, the floor of the corridors was littered with the bodies of security officers. When then they turned a corner, they ran into a single Death's Head and they both froze in place. Then the armored thing rammed the Gatling gun into Wolf, the blow was hard enough to throw him back, once the magnetized boots lost contact with the floor he slowly landed to the ground. Lilia raised the rifle, but the Death's Head let go of the Gatling gun which fell to the ground. It then grabbed Lilia by the throat and lift her up into the air and she dropped the rifle. It then turned it back to Wolf, and began to carry her away in the opposite direction as she struggled.
The Death's Head said, “I'm going to pull all your pretty guts out of your body.”
Wolf then got to his feet and ran towards them, he stopped then looked down at the Gatling gun. He then picked it up, it pained his arm but because of the low gravity he was able to lift it. He yelled, “over here!”
The Death's Head dropped Lilia and turned around. Wolf then pulled the trigger and the gun span then spat out a furry of bullets which tore the Death's Head apart. Lilia lay on the floor and covered her face. When it fell down dead, Wolf dropped the Gatling gun then dropped to his knees. Lilia got up, got her rifle and went to Wolf; she looked at him and said, “we are almost there.”
Wolf then nodded and she helped him to his feet. She then pulled him towards the command center as chaos sounded from every direction.

At the end of a long corridor was a hatch which led into the command center. Lilia appeared at the other hand, still pulling Wolf along. Then they got to the hatch and looked at it. She looked at him and said, “how do we get inside?”
Wolf took out the key he had been given by the captain and put it into a slot beside the door. There was a small beep but the hatch did not open. Wolf hit the hatch with his fist and yelled, “I did not come all this way to be stopped by a damn door!”
At the far end of the corridor, a single Death's Head soldier emerged, holding the rapid repeating rocket launcher. It then aimed it at Wolf and Lilia and began to laugh. Lilia turned around and saw it then she threw herself at Wolf, once their boots stopped touching the ground they where thrown a long distance down a corridor. The Death's Head fired and a stream of rockets streamed into the hatch and there was an explosion. Once the smoke had cleared, the hatch now lay on the ground as it had been ripped from its hinges. Then some security officers appeared behind the metal thing and began to fire.
Lilia then helped Wolf to his feet and they saw that the command center was now open. They looked at each other and went inside. Beyond the open hatch, all the staff of the command center looked at the intruders, though Brenner sat and looked at the screen. Lilia aimed the rifle and ordered, “get out or I'll fire.”
All the staff and officer Winston looked at the commander. Brenner still looked at the screen and said, “you heard her, leave now.”
They all they left the command center. Lilia aimed the rifle at Brenner and said, “you to.”
Brenner then looked at her and frowned. He said, “this is my command, I am not leaving so you'll have to shoot me.”
Wolf, losing more blood, fell back against a console as he breathed heavily. Lilia looked at at him then faced the commander. Brenner then told them, “well, you just got into the most secure installation in the Reich, you got past the best men in the entire Luftwaffe; and you made it to my command center. Though I will be glad when you both die, you do have my infinite respect. I almost wish you to where under my command.”
Wolf then looked at Brenner and flatly said, “most of the credit should go to captain Jansen. He is the smartest, most competent man I have ever met.”
Brenner scowled at Wolf and asked, “are you being serious?”
Wolf shrugged, “I'm trying sarcasm.”
Lilia then looked at Wolf and said, “you made a joke Wolf.”
Wolf looked at her. He replied, “sorry, I think I was around the captain to long. His personality rubbed off on me.”
Lilia then faced Brenner again and got close enough so she could press the barrel of the rifle to his forehead. She said, “tell us how we stop the bombers.”
Brenner then told her, “simple enough, stop them from fueling. They are designed to be unable to launch unless fully fueled. Use the console over there.” The commander pointed to some controls.
Lilia then looked at Wolf and said, “we did it.”
The Brenner said, “why don't you look at the screen miss.”
The commander pointed to the large screen, Wolf and Lilia watched an image of the Earth far away, around thirty large space bombers where headed towards it. Brenner then flatly said, “but I'm afraid you are to late. A valiant effort but ultimately futile. You came a long way just to die, you could have stayed on Earth to do that. Soon this base will lose all life support functions, so I guess will have the pleasure of dying together.”
Lilia looked at Wolf, he then made his way to the computer console Brenner had pointed and started to look at the screen. Lilia then walked up behind him and looked over his shoulder. She said, “is there something you can do?”
Wolf frowned as he looked at the different commands on the screen, he said, “if Royce was here, he might know what to do. But I'll try my best.”
He then started to activate different commands at random as Brenner looked on. The commander said, “try all you want, there is nothing you can do.”
Wolf continued till he activated a command called reactor shutoff. When he did, all the lights and screens in began to dim and a message appeared on the monitor before Wolf which read confirm reactor shutoff. Brenner then jumped up from his chair and yelled, “get away from that from that console!”
Wolf and Lilia then looked at him. She went up to the commander and held the rifle towards his head, she said, “talk!”
Brenner looked at her and replied, “I won't say anything.”
Then Lilia pressed the barrel of the rifle to Brenner's leg and fired. The commander groaned in pain as blood gushed from the wound. She kept the gun aimed there and she said, “talk!”
Brenner then angrily said, “if you power down the reactor, then we will be on reserve power. The electronic isolation field we use to keep the anti-matter stored under the base will drain reserve power in a few minutes, one the field is out the ant-matter will convert to energy and there will be an explosion which will destroy this base and a good part of the entire moon.”
Lilia looked at Wolf and said. “the bombers as well.”
Wolf looked at Brenner and told him, “are you entirely sure Jansen is the most incompetent man in the base.”
Wolf then went to use the console when Brenner screamed, “an explosion of that magnitude will probably throw large pieces of rock into space, a lot of which will head for Earth. You two fools will probably do as much damage as the the bombers.”
Wolf then looked back at Lilia and said, “Fox, you are in charge. What are your orders?”
She looked at him, smiled and replied, “your call Wolf.”
Wolf then faced the console the activated the command. Brenner then shook his head and muttered, “you both are going to die.”
Wolf then fell to the ground and pressed his back against the console as the color drained from his face from loss of blood. Lilia then went to Wolf, dropped the rifle and sat beside him. They then looked at each other then embraced when sirens sounded from all over the base and the whole facility began to shake slightly. Brenner looked at the screen and was silent. Lilia whispered to Wolf, “we did it.”
Wolf weakly said, “yeah, we did.”
She then kissed him and then their faces where inches apart as the shaking became more violent. She said to him, “I guess this is goodbye Lone Wolf. I'll always love you.”
Wolf told her, “no matter what happens, we'll never be apart again. I'll always love you to Wild Fox.”
Then the began to kiss as the shaking became more intense.

Jansen was in his small quarters laying in the cot. The pilot looked at the plant in the corner of the room, there was shaking and the noise of sirens. Jansen said, “I told you, I met these two very interesting people. We had a lot of fun today.”
Then the shaking grew more intense. “Brenner would you do your job,” Jansen said then looked at the plant, “I think maybe I should apply for his job, he obviously has no idea what he is doing.”
Then the shaking became increasingly violent.

Royce sat on the steps of the gestapo headquarters and just looked at the moon like he had for the past hour. As each minute went by, I feared Wolf and Lilia had failed. Royce then lowed his head and said, “I guess you two tried.”
Then suddenly a light appeared on the surface of the moon, it then grew so bright that it blinded Royce and he cover his eyes. The entire city of New Berlin was bathed in a intense blaze of white light which was many times brighter then the sun. Royce then lowered his hand and he saw that something that looked like an explosion covered a large portion of the moons surface. Then the light faded and it was dark again.
Royce shook his head, “well Wolf, I had my doubts. I'll miss you buddy.”
He just looked at the moon till dawn.












Chapter-Thirty-Four: Royce Reflects





A small country estate outside the rebuilt London during a warm autumn night.
Sitting on the porch of a large home was Royce who sat in a chair and looked up into, the man in his late eighties had his health was beginning to fail. Though he was neither afraid or sad, inside the house was his elderly wife whom he had spent most of his life with. His four adult children where also inside and soon he would go back into his home and spend what time he had left with them. But one night a year he would go out onto his porch and looked up into the sky, the exact same night of the year he had witnessed the blinding light on the surface of the moon as did two billion other people.
The world had changed. Once the people of Earth learned that all their lives had been saved by the sacrifice of two members of the resistance; even the most loyal servants of the Axis powers resigned their authority and a month after Axis and all the zones where gone. The nations which had existed before the war where restored, now all countries democratic and many laws created to protect citizens from abuses of power from their own governments. Since the members of the resistance who defeated Axis where from all corners of the Earth, all nations where inclined to keep the peace and war was practically unknown.
In the years after the events in New Berlin during those few months long ago, all those who participated in the tale became legends who people still often spoke about decades later. Statues had been built to all the leaders of the resistance in the area where they had been born accept for Jumping Kangaroo. In Germany near the camp where Bright Star had once escape, there was a statue of her; though her people where gone they would now always be remembered. Statues had also been built for Swift Rabbit, Venomous Cobra, Stalking Lion and Wise Elephant. Before the lunar base had been destroyed, the crew had sent a message to Earth that a pilot Jansen had been crucial to the success of Lone Wolf and Wolf Fox's mission. Not much was known about this enigmatic character of the story, most believed he was a serious and no nonsense man of skill. Outside a air force base in North America was a bronze statue of the pilot, the sculpture of a muscular man who pointed to space and had a look of steely determination. At the base where the words, “the smartest pilot who ever lived.” A statue had even been built in Royce's honor outside the rebuilt. He only looked at it once since he thought the sculptor did he a disservice. The only ones who did not have statues built of the where Lone Wolf and Wild Fox.
As the elderly Royce looked up, he thought about how after he became a man of prominence but quickly grew tired of the public eye and had retreated to this country estate decades ago and lived a peaceful existence with his wife and family. But ever year on this night, Royce would sit on the porch and look up into the sky.
As he looked up, he gazed at the moon and its companion. There now was a gigantic crater on the lunar surface which dominated a large part of it, also the explosion had thrown a massive peace of rock which now orbit the Earth. Once a year, on the exact night Royce and seen the light, the massive crater and orbiting piece of stone would align for just one evening. This night was a holiday for all people of Earth and would be for a long time.
As Royce watched the alignment, he said to himself, “I still can't believe it myself.”
He then got up and went into the house to be with his loved ones.
Now that crater was called Lone Wolf and the orbit piece of rock was called Wild Fox.